Only One
by FierceKoinu
Summary: A family of ordinary girls finds out they're notsonormal. OCs and Harry Potter characters. Marari and her family is suddenly thrust into a world they didn't even knew existed. Now they must learn to deal with this new world and their missing parents.
1. Of Owls and Adresses

_I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do_

_everything, but still I can do something._

_I will not refuse to do something I can do._

-Helen Keller

I was never to know important this quote would one day be to me, reading it that day in my stuffy, humid American literature class room. Leaning forward lazily on my desk, cheek in my hand, twilling my hair distractedly with my fingers, my eyes out of focus, my thoughts obviously elsewhere, though they appeared focused on the page in my old, patched, by-now falling apart textbook. My eyes roved slowly over the line again, not really seeing it. I heard a buzzing in my ears and I took a couple tries before I realized in was my teacher talking, talking to me, asking a question, _whoops_. "Could you repeat that?" I asked embarrassedly, and she sighed.

"Miss Yanamari, daydreaming again?" My teacher Mrs. Gantre asked, eyebrow raised. My cheeks reddened guiltily, the back of my neck heated from the embarrassment of everyone's eyes on me. Mrs. Gantre repeats her question, "Please paraphrase the quote and tell me why it is importance."

I quickly glanced down rereading the quote, finally stuttering out, "Ummmm, it means that though I am only one person, I still am a person and should be considered as such, and that though I can't do everything, since that's not possible, I can still do some things, and that I can't be kept from doing that which I can do." I ended it almost as a question, unsure.

"Excellent Miss Yanamari." Mrs. Gantre said, and I sighed, sliding down in my seat in relief. "Alright everyone, class is almost over; you are free to converse between yourselves." Mrs. Gantre said and smiled over the class. I sat and stared into my textbook, my eyes phasing out of focus, and my mind flies off; the noise of the students laughing and talking around me a dull roar that my ears didn't bother to discern. My mind was flitting through the thoughts of the latest book I had read—full of fantasy and magic and wonder and danger and everything it seemed my life was not—my imagination placing me into that world, and I was happy, no ecstatic, I so wished my life could be like that. My dream was shattered by a strange taping noise that no one else in the room seemed to notice. I tilt my head curiously, and see outside the window a precariously perched snowy owl looking into my classroom. It seemed so out of place that I laughed, the students nearest me giving me strange looks then following my line of site to the owl.

"Oooooooo! Look! An owl!" a girl cried loudly, and it took off, wheeling into the sky again, "Awwwwwwwwww." the girl said then, disappointed, while I resisted the urge to glare at her and the bell rung and I started, hurrying to stuff all of my stuff into my bursting backpack, then hurrying out of the room to make it to my last class on time, having to walk down 3 stories worth of stairs and to the other side of the building to get there. I slipped in the chemistry door just as the bell rung and I sat, breath coming short from having to run the last couple hallways. I sighed again at the close call as my teacher walks into the room. I loved chemistry, despite the fact that our teacher was completely insane and the most eccentric person I had ever had the pleasure, or misfortune, to meet. I just liked science, sometimes it so fascinating, working almost like magic, as if we were leaning the tricks of mother nature, the magic of the world around us, deciphering how things fit together, how things change, make new things, how things react. "Good afternoon class."

"Good afternoon Mr. Entrie." We all drone back to him, while he gives his standard response, "It's nice to see your bright and shining faces." While we all rolled our eyes as always.

"Okay, you know what you're supposed to do, so go to it, and for God's sake, don't let Miss Bronst handle glass or Mr. Kradse handle fire!" Mr. Entrie calls after us as we go to our lab stations in the back of the room. I finally smiled slightly as I came to my sisters, both of which are my lab partners. Chandria takes the Bunsen burner out of the cabinet, hooking up the gas hose to the nozzle and turning the release valve, while I pulled the striker out of the drawer, and Shashi got out the test tubes and the test tube holder, as well as the test tube holder. Mr. Entrie raised his eyebrow in our direction, as I stand nearby, striker in hands, while my sisters set up their parts. Mr. Entrie walked over to us and asked, "Miss Yanamari, please tell me you're not going to be starting the flame." Chandria, Shashi, and I say in unison, "Which one?" while Mr. Entrie shook his head at our three identical faces—the only difference was the colour of our shining eyes—and says, "The one with the devious pyro-manic look in her eyes clutching the striker of course." and we glanced at each other, my sisters laughing at the truth in his words.

"So what if I am?" I asked defensively while Mr. Entrie gave me a look saying, "Just remember Miss Yanamari, it only takes _one strike_." emphasizing the last two words, while my sisters giggled at me.

"Yes sir!" I said, striking a military pose, using the striker to salute, and Mr. Entrie walked away, shaking his head, followed urgently by his proclamation of, "I thought I said Miss Bronst couldn't handle glass!" as the shattering noise of broken glass sliced through the room. My sisters and I snickered and I lit the Bunsen burner, pulling on my goggles, my sisters doing the same, knowing Mr. Entrie would throttle us if we didn't. Then I left our table to get the chemical supplies we needed from the science cabinet. I carefully reached for each supply, while warily watching Bronst stand on tiptoes reaching for a chemical on the top shelf; all the chemicals are in glass vials. I make sure to quickly gather the things we needed then turn and hurry back to our table, wincing the sound of shattering glass behind me lances throughout the room for the second time this lab. "Miss Bronst!" cried Mr. Entrie again, hurrying over at the chemical splattered girl. Chandria and Shashi shook their heads at the scene behind me as I placed the chemicals carefully on our table. Shashi started carefully reading off what chemicals we were supposed to add to our test tube, as I add them, and Chandria records all the reactions that take place with each addition or any of our extra observations.

Finally after everything was added I picked up the test tube in a pair of tongs and held it over the lit Bunsen burner, the flames licking the bottom of the glass tube. I was watching the chemicals bubble intently, because I was supposed to remove it from the flame the moment a bubble reached the top of the tube or it would boil over into a dangerous radioactive mess, or blow up, or something of that matter, when suddenly I heard the curious tapping again, and I glace out the windows set high in the walls, touching the ceiling as the classroom was basically underground, and there sat the same snowy owl, looking in on the classroom, head tilted to one side. I stared transfixed until suddenly, "MISS YANAMARI! YOUR TEST TUBE!" cried Mr. Entrie from across the room as my head snapped back to my task, it was bubbling over, leaking unto the desk, _crap_! I thought my arm spazing in reflex to the sight of the corrosive liquid, the vile stuff flying out of my test tube toward a single student, who watched the coming chemical mix with horror, unable to move out of the way, "No!" I half shouted, flinging my arm out (that wasn't holding the hot test tube, duh) worried about how liable I would be, and what the chemicals might actually do, when suddenly, as if listening, the solution curved sharply, hitting the floor harmlessly, missing the student by a wide berth. It seems the only people who found it strange though were my sisters, the poor student who almost fell victim, and myself. He looked at me with wide eyes and said in a shaky voice, "Mr. Entrie, I'm not feeling well..." before sitting heavily down and passing out.

After the student I almost hit was woken and taken to the office to go home, I turned to my sisters, our identical faces staring back at each other, (did I forget to mention we're triplets? Well Chandria is the oldest, then it's me, then it's Shashi as the youngest. We also have twin younger sisters, Tavia and Teva.) who looked at me with a questioning look in their bright brown and blue eyes, and I just shrugged, averting my own flashing green eyes, while they nodded accepting that I wasn't gonna say anything. Yet I knew that later they would wheedle it out of me.

It was near the end of the period, and even though I kind of screwed it up we got all the information we needed for the lab, so we cleaned up our area and put our lab goggles back where they belonged, and packed up our bags, ready for the bell that would single the end of the day. It was November 6th and the weather outside was the high of autumn, brightly coloured leaves on every tree and covering the ground, the air crisp and slightly chilled requiring a sweater. The bell rang and we were out the door immediately, walking down the sidewalk to our house, thankful for the final arrival of the weekend to the seemingly forever week.

"Marari what was with you earlier? I mean I know you're a daydreamer but you've never done it while holding corrosive materials before." Asked Chandria, Shashi adding, "At least not often." and I gave her a dirty look, then sighed, pulling my hand through my shortish auburn-red hair.

"This is going to sound really stupid..." I started, and they nodded, as if they expected nothing less. Oh how I love my siblings, by the way, that was sarcasm for all those who didn't know. I continued, "Well you see, there was this owl outside the window, and I saw it during American lit too." My sisters raised their eyebrows at me in identical looks but didn't say anything, waiting for me to finish. "I know it sounds really stupid but it seemed almost as if it was staring at me, and when some other kids noticed it, it flew away, but then I came back during chem and it still seemed to be looking at me. I know that it sounds paranoid and impossible or whatever you want to call it, but I really believe it."

Surprisingly my sisters nodded. Chandria started talking, "Do you remember when we turned 11 and we got that letter addressed to

_'Misses Chandria, Marari, and Shashi Yanamari_

_The Three Rooms on the South Side_

_808 Maragnie Court_

_Oconto Falls _

_Wisconsin, United States'_

Both of us nodded at her words, remembering the strangely addressed letter we had never been able to read, because our father took it away the moment he walked into the front hall and saw us gathered around it. He had a furious look in his eye, I think it was the only time we had every really seen him angry, but he made it clear he wasn't angry with us when he saw our distressed faces, standing together tightly, staring at him. He had knelt down and kissed each of our foreheads saying that he wasn't angry at us, that it was the letter and not to open any that looked like it if we found more. Which we did, some addressed to all three of us, others to just one of us, they continued to appear in strange places throughout our home, week after week, but after the first two months we started finding less and less, and finally they stopped being sent all together. Despite how curious we all were, we never did open any of the letters, we just gave them to our father and he got rid of them, often by burning them in the fire place, while we sat by and watched, enjoying the heat of the leaping flames, warming our toes and wrapping around us like a second skin. Fire had that kind of effect on all of us. I shook the memory out of my head, and it appeared Chandria and Shashi were doing the same.

"It's strange, I really haven't thought about those letters for a long time, as if I had forgotten them completely." Shashi said, while Chandria started talking again, "Well, do you remember all the owls we saw? Outside our windows, looking in, as if waiting for us, or watching us to see if we'd do something."

"Ya, it was a little creepy, having them always around, even when we were walking home or to school, or simply out of the house, one was always perched there, I remember being glad when they stopped showing up." I said. With the owls there my young mind had felt opposed by the belief that _something_ seemed to be expected of me, that I was failing in some way. My sisters nodded, "But still, they were also very beautiful." My sisters nodded again, this time smiling. "The one I saw today was a beautiful snowy owl, with white feathers and grey speckled throughout it."

"They're not very common around here, are they?" asked Shashi.

"Not common at all." said Chandria in response, a look of curiosity on her face. "I wonder what one would be doing around here, besides stalking Marari, of course." said Shashi. I stuck my tongue out at her just as a shadow passed over our heads, accompanied by a small swooshing noise. We all looked up to see a small winged silhouette. It got bigger as it neared, swooping down closer to us, until finally with a quick drive it landing before us on the sidewalk, a large snowy owl, looking up at us with its somber golden eyes. It held up a leg toward us and at that moment we noticed it had a letter attached there, envelope made of a thick, off-white paper. We stood there just staring at the bird for what seemed to be 5 minutes, then I took a step forward, and leaned over, the owl automatically jumped unto my outstretched arm, and I used my other hand to remove the letter tied to its leg. My sisters crowded around me, looking down at the writing on the envelope, eyes going wide as we read:

_'Misses Chandria, Marari, and Shashi Yanamari_

_The Corner of Inirte Boulevard and 15th Street_

_Oconto Falls_

_Wisconsin, United States'_

We all glanced up to see the street sign in front of us, the two green signs reading: 'Inirte Blvd' and '15th St. N.' We glanced at each other then back down at envelope in my hands. The writing on the envelope matched the writing of the envelopes from all those years ago.

"Should we open it?" Shashi asks the question that was on all of minds.

My fingers twitched as my curiosity overwhelmed me, "Yeah," I said, "I think we should, I need to know who is sending us these and what they want." My sisters nodded, gathering closer as I opened the seal of the envelope- a strange symbol, revolving around the letter 'H'. It read:

_Dear Misses Yanamari,_

_It is my displeasure to inform you of a most unpleasant event. I am afraid there is much to explain and little time, and even less that you will understand at this moment. The matters that must be discussed are not safe to be disclosed in this letter, in the chance of this owl being intercepted. I will see you soon, when I hope to explain as much as I possibly can, but for the moment, you must hurry home as quickly as possible, I will be waiting there for you. The owl, Hermes, will stay with you. Please make haste._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

"What does he mean, 'most unpleasant event'?" Shashi asked shakily.

"And what about 'The matters that must be discussed are not safe to be disclosed in this letter'? I don't know you guys, this is really freaky." said Chandria.

"Well, only one way to find out. We hurry up and get home. Hold tight Hermes." I said to the bird on my arm, and it tightened its grip on my arm slightly, as if it understood, and I took off at a quick pace toward our house, letter still in hand, my sisters quickly matching my pace.


	2. Of Flight

**Part 2: Of Flight **

Our house was in sight, the garden still the same, beautiful and fragrant, my mother's pride and joy. The house still all in one piece, not a chip in the light blue paint of the siding, the curtains in the windows only half-closed, as they often were. Everything was in its place, I don't know what I was expecting, maybe a blazing fire, or a gaping hole or _something_, but the truth was so much worse. We walked into the house, Hermes still on my arm, and I called questioningly, "Mum? Dad? Ummm..." I glanced down at the letter in my hand, "Mr. Dumbledore?"

"Hello Miss Marari Yanamari." a voice says from the shadows, and I turned to see an old man with a long white beard, wearing the weirdest clothes, but the strangest part was that he knew which of my sisters I was. "Miss Chandria Yanamari, Miss Shashi Yanamari." He continued, nodding to each of my sisters, correctly identifying each.

"How-" I started to ask, but he shook his head, "I will have to tell you later, for now there isn't much time."

Suddenly Shashi asks in a fearful voice, "Where are our parents." looking desperately around her.

"I'm afraid that that is part of my news..."

I whipped my gaze back to the old man, "What do you mean?" I looked at him with slit eyes. The man's blue eyes looked empty without the sparkle they had when he first greeted us.

"I'm afraid you will have to wait, it is not safe to talk here, and we must wait for you're younger sisters, I wish to tell you all at the same time." Chandria had her hand over her mouth, Shashi standing next to her, looking small and frail, my eyes flashed.

"If it isn't safe here then where are we going, and how are you planning on getting us there?" I again looked at his strange outfit, "You can't expect to walk around outside without getting noticed in that." I said pointing.

His eyes gained back some of their twinkle, "Sarcastic, like your mother." my cheeks glowed at what I took as one of the best compliments that can be given. "As for where I cannot speak its name aloud, as for how-" his eyes twinkled again, "Now that's a different story." From what seemed to be nowhere he produced six brooms, which I looked at incredulously.

"And with those you expect to do what exactly...?" I asked him.

"Why fly of course." he stated simply.

Then I started to laugh, tears in my eyes, but the laughter seemed hysterical, "Okay, mum, dad, you can come out now, the jig's up, haha you're all so funny. Where's the camera?" The old man sighed.

"I was afraid of this, your parents; they never told you, did they? I assumed when the letters were never returned, and I can understand why, of course, but it makes things much more difficult." The man takes a deep breath, "The three of you, and your younger twin sisters as well, are witches." I stared at him, eyes wide in total and utter lack of comprehension.

"What did you just say?" asked Shashi, staring at the man, while Chandria finally removes her hand from her mouth, and it was by then hanging open.

The man sighed again, "I suppose it would be easier if I showed you, but I do not know if it is safe."

"Screw safe, right about now I'm worried we've got a nut job in our house that thinks we're witches and that our parents are in some type of danger." I say.

"Right." the man said decidedly, and reached into his cloak and started to pull something out, and I flinched, expecting a weapon, but felt increasingly stupid as I saw it was only a thin, roughly 12inch long piece of smooth wood that tapered to one end. He flicked it and stars flew from the tip, chasing each other around the room, then he flicked it again, and dishes and other such small items in the room began to dance around as well.

The three of us stood there with our mouths hanging open as in the background the door flies open and a voice calls out getting closer, "CHANDRIA! MARARI! SHASHI! Mr. Dumb-" and the voice stopped as my two younger twin sisters hurried into the room a letter dangling from Tavia's hand, forgotten as they came upon the sight of the dancing dishes.

"Welcome young Misses Tavia and Teva Yanamari." the man said to them, flicking his wand a final time and everything floated back to its place, the sparks dissipating into the air. "Now that all are present, I believe it is time for us to move." said the old man, and he held out a broom toward us, another in his other hand, and we stared at him. After a long silent pause I nodded, and stepped forward, taking the smoothly sanded wooden broom from his hand as he smiled at me. Tavia looked at me and asked, "But what's-"

"Just do as he says." I said to my confused little sister, and she did, soon each of us was holding our own broom.

"Now we must do this quickly," said the man, as we walked through our house, to the door to the back yard. Everything was still exactly in its place, as if everyone had just stepped out for a moment and could be expected back any moment, though I knew that wasn't true. "When we get outside, you must straddle your broom, one leg on either side, then kick off the ground, hard. Make sure to hold on tight, we don't want you to fall and injure yourselves." I glanced at my sisters to see they were all nodding, serious, taking every word to heart, and I realized I was doing same. I realized how stupid it would look if this was all some joke, and someone looked over to see three sixteen year olds, two 11 year olds, and an old man in weird clothing hopping up and down on brooms. I pushed the thought away, no time for doubt. "Follow me once we take off, to steer the broom, shift your hands and weight in the direction you wish to turn, it is very hard to explain, it'll make much more sense once we are in the air and you can experience it." We walked out our back door, and we straddled the brooms. "Alright, 3...2...1...Push off!" the man called, and I pushed with my legs as hard as possible eyes closed. I slowly opened one eye, than the other to see the ground was melting away. My sisters and I plus one odd man were soaring through the sky on brooms, the clouds around us.

I found the steering of the broom actually extremely easy, it just came to me. I turned back and forth, then did a couple loop-de-loops, crying into the chill crisp air, "Whoooooooo!" while the old man laughed.

"You are all quite exceptional fliers; I wouldn't expect less from Quauhtli's daughters." Quauhtli, my father. "He was one of the best seekers Hogwarts has ever seen." the man said conversationally. We all just looked at him confused. "Ah yes, you wouldn't know. Quidditch, the sport in which your father played, is a game played on broomsticks. I'm afraid I really can't explain it at the moment, though I am sure a certain boy by the name of Ronald Wesley will be pleased too once he meets you."

I flew up closer to the man, "Actually Mr..."

"Please, just call me Professor Dumbledore." the professor said.

"Alright, professor. I was actually wondering about what Hogwarts is." I said to him. "Oh, but of course. That reminds me, I have your letters, as I assume you never got to read them. Even Tavia and Teva, as you are now of age to enter." I took the envelope the professor handed me, the envelope that was a twin to the other that was by then packed away in my pocket, and I pondered the address as he moved away to give my sisters their own letters.

_Miss Marari Yanamari_

_Somewhere above Oconto Falls_

_Oconto Falls_

_Wisconsin, United States_

_How does he do that?!_ I wondered as I looked at the address again. Then I slipped open the seal, balancing on my broom with my knees as I began to read the letter itself.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

_of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Worlock, _

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Mugwump?_ I thought, looking up at the Dumbledore, who smiled at me, eyes twinkling, I grinned and continued reading the letter.

**Dear Miss Yanamari,**

**We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**

**Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.**

**Yours Sincerely,**

_Minerva McGonagall_

**Minerva McGonagall**

_Deputy Headmistress_

I looked up in confusion, "Professor." I called as I brought my broom up next to his, "It says term starts on September 1st, but it's already November."

He nodded; "I am aware of this Miss Yanamari." he answered and didn't say anything else, so I tried a new question, "So where are we headed?"

Dumbledore smiled and said, "London."

"LONDON?!" I shouted, almost falling off my broom, I quickly grabbed it tightly, holding on.

"Yes, Miss Yanamari, London."

"Like, London, England, London?" asked Shashi staring at Dumbledore.

He laughed, "Yes, England."

"And we're flying the whole way on these brooms?!" asked Tavia, the first words she said to Dumbledore himself since we met him.

"Actually, no." We looked at him curiously, "We are only flying to New York on broom, then we will land and use the floo powder network to get strait to where we're headed."

"Ummm, flu powder? It's not gonna make us sick or something will it?" asked Teva, and Dumbledore laughed, "No, no, your health is safe."

My sister's conversed among themselves, Dumbledore listening amusedly, while I took out the papers still in my envelope, reading with interest the lists there.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

_of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

**UNIFORM**

**You shall require:**

**Three sets of plain work robes (black)**

**One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear**

**One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)**

**One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)**

**One set of dress robes**

**Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags**

**COURSE BOOKS**

**You will be required to have a copy of each of the following:**

Then my gaze was torn from the paper when my one of my sister's suddenly exclaimed, "What's that?!"

"That, Miss Yanamari is what is getting us to New York before nightfall, as it tends to get extremely cold and wet and particularly uncomfortable when the sun falls this time of year." answered Dumbledore. And then we flew into a swirling vertex, colours speeding past too fast to register and the next moment we found ourselves spit out over a brightly lit city reaching toward the horizons made of steel buildings. "Come now, follow me, it is not much further," Dumbledore said, turns to the east and flying on, all evidence of the vertex had disappeared. The sun was sinking in the sky, leaving us to fly through the beautiful violet velvet twilight.


	3. Of Wands and Time

**Part 3: Of Wands and Time**

I heard a hooting to my left and saw Hermes flying next to me, he came closer and landed on the broom in front of me, I stroked his feathers, my fingers and ears getting cold from the crisp air, turning slightly red. Suddenly I saw Dumbledore's broom begin to descend, and I followed, tipping my broom down slightly. Soon our feet touched down on chill, lightly frosted grass that crunched softly as we walked over it. Dumbledore knocked on the door of a small house, my sisters and I gathered close around him. The door opened, a man looking cautiously out, relaxing when he saw Dumbledore, opening the door wide for all of us to enter. "Hurry, everything's ready for you." Dumbledore nodded to the man and ushered us into another room in which the fireplace was burning brightly, the heat wonderful on our half-frozen skin. "Okay, we must do this quickly, take a pinch of this powder, and throw it on the flames. Then step into the fire and call 'The Leaky Cauldron' clearly, do you understand?" We all nodded despite the uneasy feeling stepping into fire gave us. "Beautiful, now Marari, you first, take your broom and Hermes with you."

I gulped and resisted the urge to whine, 'Why?' and took a pinch of the powder Dumbledore had indicated, threw it on the flames, which instantly turned a brilliant green colour, then stepped in, shouting "'The Leaky Cauldron'!" The world suddenly seemed to be spinning, and I closed my eyes tight, the quickly passing glimpses of homes beyond fire grates giving me horrible motion sickness.

Suddenly the spinning stopped and I flung my arms out, Hermes latched onto one the broom in a death grip in my other. I open my eyes slowly, coughing, taking in a bar-like room full of people staring at my soot-covered self. Then I heard a voice, "You're with Dumbledore then? Right on time you 're." I looked up to see a man behind the counter was talking to me. "'Agrid isn't 'ere yet." I looked at the man, trying to pretend I knew what he was talking about where suddenly someone ran right into my back, coughing up a storm.

"Geez what a trip." I distinctively heard the voice of my older sister Chandria say behind me. I took a hurried step forward, not wanting to be plowed down by the arrival of more of my sisters.

"Oy, you two twins or something?" the man behind the counter asked, just as my third sister appeared in the grate, quickly moving toward us, rubbing soot off of her face with her sleeve.

"Triplets actually." I answered him. "The twins are our younger sisters." added Shashi. The man whistled. Tavia tumbled out of the fireplace, immediately followed Teva, the second plowing into the first.

"Watch it!" Tavia cried, falling to the ground.

"There's not any more of ya is there?" asked the man, and we shook our heads as our two younger sisters joined us. With a sudden pop Dumbledore appeared next to us, smiling at the man behind the counter. "Ah, Dumbledore, quite the family there." he said nodding toward us, cleaning out a glass with a rag.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "Yes Tom, I believe they are, where is Hagrid?"

"Late professor, sorry, 'ad a bit of 'o run in out at 'Ogwarts with a unicorn and a gryphon, they were having a bit 'o a disagreement, you see."

"That is quite alright Hagrid, you are still here."

"Thank you professor, an' you lot must be the Yanamari girls. Pleasure to meet you all." We turned to face a man of gigantic proportions, his head seemed to brush the ceiling and his hands could easily fit all the way around me. His face was almost completely hidden behind a thick, wiry beard spanning across his chin and cheeks, his beady black eyes shining joyfully.

"Hi." I said shyly, tilting my head back and offering my hand to shake, he smiled and shook it, nearly lifting me clear off the floor as he pumped my arm up and down. "'Ello there! I am Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts School."

"I'm Marari Yanamari." I answer.

"That you are." the huge man replied, "And you must be Chandria and Shashi, and you littler ones, you must be Tavia and Teva." My sisters nodded, shy of the bulking man who took up a whole corner of the room by himself.

"Welcome to England." Dumbledore said, blue eyes twinkling.

"Can I get anything for any of you?" asked the man behind the counter. Dumbledore answered, "Another time Tom, we must get their things then be moving on."

"Ah." said Tom knowingly, "Headed to Diagon Alley then are you?"

"That we are." said Hagrid, beginning to herd my sisters and I through the bar and out of it, coming into a small walled area, where all there was too see was brick and a trash can. Suddenly Dumbledore started tapping what seemed like random bricks, but when he stepped back, the bricks of the wall began to roll back, revealing an entrance to a whole new street, bustling with people shopping, talking, simply walking about. Colours and signs everywhere. Hagrid led us through the archway, headed toward a huge building, snowy white coloured, with bronze shinning doors. We walked to the entrance, and Dumbledore told us to wait there with Hagrid, since there were so many of us, and he would go in alone. While he went in, Hagrid explained. "This here is Gringotts, the Wizard bank. It's run by goblins," he nodded toward the guard standing by the bronze doors.

Before long Dumbledore had returned, handing a bag to Hagrid saying, "Hagrid will take you girls to get your supplies; I have some things to attend to." We nodded and he walked away.

"Well I suppose we should get your get yer uniforms first of all." said Hagrid and started toward a shop called, 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions'. We entered the door and a smiling woman whom I assumed was Madam Malkin walked up to us.

"And would you lot all be Hogwarts then?" We nodded, and she motioned for us to follow her as she counted out how many of us there were. "Let's see now, we'll start with you older one's, just stand on these stools..." and we stood there as she draped robes around us, pining them to the right length and fit, and soon each of us had a couple sets of plain black robes and she asked, "Will you be needed dress robes as well then?" and I nodded, remembering them being mentioned in the note. She gave us all a good look then started pulling out three different coloured robes, fancier than the plain black ones. She draped a deep, chocolaty brown one around Chandria's shoulders, a bright sky blue one about Shashi's, and finally a beautiful dark emerald green one about mine. "They match your eyes." she muttered then asked, "Do you like them?" We nodded looking in the mirrors then at each other, amazed at how much the colours brought out our eyes. She finished hemming and fixing the robes and then we removed them, getting down from the stools, allowing our younger sisters to step up on them.

Soon each had their own set of robes plus a dark bluish-purple one for Tavia and a light violet-indigo like coloured one for Teva. We left the store leavened down with the packages, and Hagrid led us to a store with a sign proclaiming, 'Flourish and Blotts' which turned out to be stacked with wall to wall shelves covered in every kind of magical book imaginable.

I pulled the list of supplies out of my pocket, juggling my packaged robes into one arm, reading down the list of course books, realizing I was going to have quite a bit of reading to do, since it seemed I was going to be starting as a sixth year despite the fact that I hadn't known of the wizarding world until earlier today. A man came up to us asking if he could help us, I just handed him my list, and his eyes roved over what I knew to read:

COURSE BOOKS

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grades 1-6)_ by Miranda Goshawk

_A History of Magic_ by Bathilda Bagshot

_Magical Theory_ by Adalbert Waffling

_A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ by Emeric Switch

_Intermediate Transfiguration_

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ by Phylida Spore

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander

_Monster Book of Monsters_

_Magical Drafts and Poisons_ by Arsenius Jigger

_The Dark Forces: A guide to Self-preservation_ by Quentin Trimble

The man gave me a look as if wondering if I was serious about needing all these books, when I just returned his look with a level one of my own he sighed then glanced at my other sisters, looking relieved that the two youngest at least had a normal list worth, then turned around, going to get our books, telling us to wait where we were. Not to long later the man returned with two other employees, all three leavened down by books, they set them down in front of us, asked for the price, and as soon a Hagrid gave them it, walked away quickly, as if worried we'd ask them to help us carry the books. Each of us picked up as many as we could carry, Hagrid easily taking the bulk of it.

"Perhaps we should drop these off before we finish getting you things?" Hagrid suggested, and again we nodded, following him as he headed back to the leaky cauldron entrance, and soon we were in the bar again, but this time we headed up the stairs and Hagrid opened a room with a three beds and set down his load, as we did the same.

I took out my list again, Shashi doing the same and reading off, "Now all we need to get is a cauldron, a set of phials, a telescope, a set of brass scales, and-"

"A wand." I whispered, looking forward to the moment.

"We better get to it then, shan't we?" Hagrid says and we pile out of the room again, making the trip back to Diagon Alley. As we walk out of the door into the walled courtyard once again I glance at my watch, then do I quick double take. _What the..._ I think, seeing the date reading June 4th, while only just this morning it correctly read November 6th.

As I stare at the face of my obviously broken watch I hear a voice say in my ear, "Do you find something curious, Miss Yanamari?" And I jump around, seeing Professor Dumbledore's smiling face.

"Oh, hello Professor, it's just that my watch broke, I guess I'll have to get a new one, though it's a pity, my father gave me this watch for our birthday a couple years ago." (I don't say our as if referring to myself as more then one person, but when you're a triplet and you basically share everything with your sisters, starting with your birthday.)

"And what, may I ask, leads you to the conclusion that your watch is broken?" asks Dumbledore, still smiling.

"Well Professor, the date is all wrong, it's already November, but my watch thinks that it is June."

"And what makes you think your watch is wrong?"

"But- what?"

Dumbledore smiles wider, "It's seems the vortex we traveled through earlier may have messed up the time a bit, so really, it _is_ the 4th of June. Though in truth I find it curious that your watch itself survived the vortex, normally muggle technologies...hmmmm. May I see your watch?" I hold out my wrist for him to examine it. "Ahhhh, yes, it isn't a muggle watch. It's wizard produced, put plainly, it is a magic watch."

I look at my watch with new eyes, "So that's why I've never had to replace the battery...and why it didn't implode when I wore it deep sea diving...heh." I murmur to myself and Dumbledore laughs.

"Well I believe you must be on your way," Dumbledore says, indicating the open archway, my sisters and Hagrid already walking down Diagon Alley without me.

"Whoops! I better go catch them! Good bye Professor!" I call back over my shoulder, waving back as I run after my siblings. Behind me Dumbledore laughs and shakes his head, turning around and in with a pop he disappears.

"Good thing Hagrid's so tall otherwise I'd get completely lost." I mumble to myself while trying to push through the crowded streets to catch up with Hagrid and my siblings. I finally caught then as they entered a shop with large brass and crystal scales in the front windows, and a sign proclaiming in bold white letters, '**SALE** **ON EYE OF NEWT 50 OFF**'. I snort shaking my head and enter the shop, finding my siblings in a corner, looking over phials and scales, and I walk up to them. "Thanks for waiting." I say sullenly, and Shashi says, "Oh, hey Marari, where you been?" I sigh rolling my eyes and give up, looking over the scales.

After getting all our other supplies we came to a store whose sign read: 'Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.' in fading gold letters, pealing slightly. I looked at the small, shabby shop questioningly and Hagrid said, "No better wand makers than Ollivander's."

I shrugged, not about to argue, and entered the dim shop, not realizing that Hagrid and my sisters had remanded outside, I was about to go back out and ask what the hold up was when a voice from the shadows spoke, "Good Afternoon Miss Yanamari, I was wondering when you and your sisters were going to finally show up." I turned quickly to see a thin, old man, eyes shining through the darkness of the shop.

_Okay, slightly freaky,_ I think, quickly mastering my surprised face. "Oh it seems just yesterday your parents were in here getting their own first wands, you have the look of your father, but your hair is most definitely your mothers." I twitch under his scrutinizing gaze and suddenly he asks, "Which hand is your wand hand?"

"Well, I'm left-handed if that's what you mean." I answer him, and he pulls out a tape measure, taking the length of my arm, from elbow to wrist, fingertips to shoulder, shoulder to my waist, around the circumference of my head, and I tolerate the proceedings wondering what in the world any of them could matter for. Bbeing so distracted it took me a moment before I realized the tape measure was now taking measurements on its own, and the man was up on a ladder, reaching for a dusty box, black, thin, and long, and pulling it from a shelf.

"Enough." he says and the tape measure falls lifeless to the ground at my feet as he begins to descend the ladder saying, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a magical substance. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand. Ah, here we go." He finished as his feet reach the ground and he walks toward me, removing a long, thin wand from the box. He hands it to me saying, "Cedar and dragon heartstring, 13 inches in length, quite strong and solid." I take it from him and stand there feeling extremely stupid and he says, "Well, go ahead, give it a wave!" gesturing wildly. I lift my arm and before I had even managed to flick the tip he took it from me saying, "No, no, that's not right. Hmmmm, try this one, Willow and unicorn hair, 10 inches in length, extremely whippy." I took the new wand but again he took it back, shaking his head. He pulled down another box handing me another wand, "Maybe this one, Ash and Dragon heartstring, 7 inches. Nope." He says, handing me the wand then taking it away again. I sighed, this was more work than I expected. About 13 wands of different wood, length, and cores later, he finally rolled the ladder far back into the shelves, and climbed up to the top shelf, pulling a dusty box in the corner down, blowing some dust off the top, then slowly begins his descent again, pulling a dark coloured wand from it, and hands it gingerly to me saying, "Hawthorne and phoenix feather, 10 and 3 quarter inches in length." And as I grasped it a warm flooded my fingers and beautiful silver sparks flew from the tip. "Ah, very good. You see the wand chooses the wizard Miss Yanamari, and this wand has chosen you." I stared at my wand still emitting silver sparks. The sparks finally died away but the warmth remained, I turned to look out the grimy window to see what was holding up Hagrid and my sisters when I suddenly felt like someone tipped the world on it's side and my stomach dropped, as I watched Hagrid, my sisters, and _myself_ walking toward the shop joking around, the world blanked and next thing I knew, I was outside, the noise of the street greeting me, the bright light of day making me cover my eyes.

"Ugh," I say holding my head and Shashi says, "You okay Marari?" I look up to find myself walking down the street with my siblings and Hagrid. "Yeah, yeah, I'm...fine." I say staring as we walk into the dim confines Ollivander's.

"Good Afternoon Misses Yanamari, I was wondering when you were going to finally show up. And Good Afternoon to you as well Hagrid."

"Afternoon, Afternoon. You've a good amount of business today what with this great family." responds Hagrid, and Mr. Ollivander steps forward, scanning each of us, he eyes seemed to remain on me a second longer, but it may have been my imagination.

Then he said, "Please outstretch your wand hand." while pulling several tape measures from various pockets. I promptly stretched out my left arm as my sisters glanced at each other questioningly, and finally stuck out whichever hand was their writing hand. Soon tape measures were flying everywhere once again taking their insane measurements. Beyond the fury of the measuring tapes I could see Mr. Ollivander climbing up the ladder and reaching for the exact same box in which the wand I had first tried lays. As he climbed the ladder he was saying, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a magical substance. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand." He pulled the box of the shelf, "Let's start with you Miss Marari Yanamari." Remembering all the wands I had tried and how long it had taken I spoke up and said, "Perhaps I might try a Hawthorne wand, with a phoenix feather core, 10 and 3 quarter inches in length?" My sister's all stared at me mouths hanging open as if wondering what the hell I was taking about, since none of us knew anything about wands beyond what Mr. Ollivander had just told us. Mr. Ollivander, though, didn't miss a beat.

"If that is what you wish." he responds, face blank, but his eyes twinkled. He put the box back on the shelf and rolled to ladder back into the farthest corner, then climbed all the way to the top shelf pulling a box out of the corner. He blew some of the dust off the top then descended the ladder, taking the dark coloured wand out of the box as he walked toward my sisters and me, then handing me the wand saying, "Hawthorne and phoenix feather, 10 and 3 quarter inches in length." I grasp the wand and feel warmth flow into my fingertips, and silver sparks shoot out of the tip. As my sisters oh and awe at them and Hagrid watches on appreciably, I look up past them at Mr. Ollivander, and he nods his head the slightest bit, a shadow of smile on his face, the sparks reflected on his dark eyes.

The rest of the time I spent in the wand shop was a bit of a blur, being too lost in my own thoughts to really think about the process of each of my four sisters wands finding them, as Mr. Ollivander had put it, 'The wand chooses the wizard,' or, well, witch in this case I suppose. Soon enough, or maybe much later, my sense of time seemed even more messed up then the stream of it, we were exiting the shop, a wand in each of our hands, and my only thought was _Time seems to be a relative term around here..._


	4. Of Books and Learning

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the places or characters in the harry potter books. I _do_ however own the souls of Marari, Chandria, Shashi, Tavia, Teva, their parents, and all the other random characters I decide to throw in there 'cause I can.**

**Fox(my muse that more often then not wishes to kill me): **narrows eyes You just enjoy owning people

**Koinu: **...Maybe

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**Of Books and Learning**

Chandria, Shashi and I spent the remainder of the afternoon simply breezing from shop to shop, up and down the alley, discovering this new world, while our younger sisters did the same, mainly holing up in joke shops and ice cream parlors. It was the last day for a long time that we'd be free to just up and do whatever we felt whenever we felt.

We spent the next 3 and a half weeks, holed up in our rooms doing nothing but reading, reading and reading, and twice a week Dumbledore would come and give us practical lessons and see how we were coming along in our studies. Tavia and Teva didn't have to worry though, being first years, and often we could see the two out of our room's window, walking down Diagon Alley, but us older sisters were 5 years behind, and didn't have time to spare to do anything beside eat, sleep and study, sometimes two at once (of course, I don't mean sleeping and eating/ studying at the same time, I mean honestly).

Then on the morning of June 21st, there was an unexpected change.

My sister's and I started at the sudden sound of knocking on our door, and our heads swiveled to the entrance. "Who would be coming to see us now?" asks Chandria. Shashi shrugs as I get to my feet and almost have to dance over to the door to avoid stepping on all of the books—open to spells, descriptions of plants, and the affects of certain potions. By the time I reach the door, the person had already knocked a second time. I open the door to see Tom, the innkeeper, hand raised to knock again.

"Tom?" I question, and hear called greetings coming from the disembodied voices of my sisters, hidden behind piles of books and parchment.

"G' Morin' to you Misses Yanamari, Dumbledore is here to see you."

"Dumbledore?" Shashi questions, suddenly right behind me.

"But we don't have any lessons today." I say confused, just as Chandria makes her way to the door.

"The Professor is waiting for you and your younger sisters, please follow me and I'll take you to him." I glance at my sisters and shrug, and we follow Tom to our younger sister's room where he once again knocks on the door. It opens to reveal a bed-headed and dreary-eyed Tavia, blinking into the hallway, the sound of muffled snoring behind her coming from a lump in one of the bed's.

"Tom? What's up?"

"Professor Dumbledore would like to see you and your sisters."

Tavia's eyes widen, and she replies, "Give us a couple minutes to get ready," then just as the door closes behind her we hear, "Oy! Teva! Wake up and get dressed! Dumbledore's here to see us!" Proceeded by the sound of quick movement and a couple thuds and the door flies open once more, presenting two thoroughly awake and well-groomed 11 year-old's stand in the entrance.

Shashi, Chandria and I stare wide-eyed at the two, "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" ask Tavia and Teva in unison.

"Never mind," murmurs Shashi, and Tom starts down the hall again, the five of us in tow, until we reach another door which Tom knocks.

"I've the Yanamari's Sir."

"Come in." Tom opens the door and we filter into the room. "Ah, Misses Yanamari, please pull up a seat." says Dumbledore, as he flicks his wands and several extremely comfy-looking chairs appear, and we all sit. Dumberdore nods at us then produces tea and small cakes from thin air. Tavia, Teva, and Shashi quickly grab a cake each, while I pick up a cup of tea and Chandria simply sits and looks at Dumbledore, ignoring the food.

I sip slowly at the hot tea while Dumbledore takes a cake for himself, and a cup of tea, smiling pleasantly at us. I was getting impatient and I could tell Chandria was too. Suddenly Dumbledore spoke, and my younger sisters stopped talking, listening intently. "I'm sure you are all wondering why I have called you here." We nodded, waiting for him to continue. He turns to address Chandria, Shashi, and myself, saying, "You have been doing quite well in your studies, but there is only so much you can learn from a book."

"But Professor, we have you to teach us!" says Shashi, cutting off Dumbledore.

He smiles, "I'm afraid once a week is no longer enough now that you have moved into learning third year magics. And so I would like you to meet your temporary teacher, Professor Lupin."

At that moment a man in shabby clothing with an even shabbier briefcase walks into the room saying, "I'm sorry I'm late professor."

"Not at all, you're right on time. Chandria, Marari, Shashi, meet Professor Lupin."

"Not any more, Dumbledore." says the man.

"Nonsense, you are their teacher, and so, once again, a Professor." says Dumbledore.

The man smiles, "If you insist. Hello Misses Yanamari, as Dumbledore said, I am to be your teacher, and as of the fact that you will have a full-time teacher, every month you will get a couple days off of studying to do whatever you wish."

"YES!" says Shashi rather loudly, then she embarrassedly covers her mouth grin still visible behind her fingers.

"You will be beginning your lessons tomorrow morning, at 7 o'clock sharp in room 102." continues Professor Lupin, smiling at Shashi.

"In the morning?" asks Shashi fearfully, and the professor nods as Chandria and I laugh at Shashi's expression.

Then Tavia suddenly speaks up, "I beg your pardon Professor Dumbledore, but why was it that you called us all here if only to talk about our elder sister's schooling?"

"As yes," says Dumbledore, "I was getting to that. Lupin, would you care to stay with us and have tea and some of these delicious biscuits or are you off to unpack your things?"

"Ah, I best be off Professor. Remember girls, 7 O'clock sharp." says Professor Lupin, turning toward us, and we respond in unison, "In room 102."

"In the morning." Shashi tacks on at the end, and Lupin leaves the room laughing quietly. Dumbledore settles back into his seat and takes a sip of his tea, looking over the rim of his cup at my sisters and I. Finally when I thought I couldn't take it any longer he spoke.

"Do you remember when I told you I would tell you I had some less than pleasant news for you regarding your parents?" he asks, making it more of a statement. I grasp my tea cup tighter in my hand, and see Shashi stopping, mid-reach, while grabbing another biscuit. My sisters and I nod silently.

"You said you'd tell us once we were all together and we were somewhere safe." says Tavia, and Dumbledore nods to her, then stands and walks toward the door.

"Yes, as soon as you were all together." he says, opening the door and in walks a young auburn-headed male who looked about 17 or 18 years of age, with deep brown eyes to rival Chandra's.

"CAEL!" I hear someone shout, to realize seconds later it was me.

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**Okay, I hope that you liked the chapter. I would really appreciate reviews so that I can know if the writing is decent, or if it needs more work. Also I have a tendency to write in a manner that nobody can understand without realizing it, if you see any spots that simply just doesn't make any sense, please tell me. Thanks for reading!**

**Fox:** psh. listen to you, practically begging for reviews.

**Koinu: **Fox, I love you but that's not gonna stop me from smacking you upside the head.

**Fox:** I'd like to see you try.

**Koinu: **are you threatening me?

**Fox: **Why yes, as a matter of fact, I am.

**Koinu: **glares no supper for you

**Fox: **...you suck


	5. Of Family and Reunion

**Disclamer: i obviously do not own harry potter because then it would not be _fan_fiction. ** **I do however own Marari and her family. so there.**

**Hello all!** **Nothing really to say before the chapter sooooo, read on! Hope you like it!**

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Part 5: Of Family and Reunion 

"Cael?" Teva asks in a disbelieving tone, suddenly appearing next to my chair, staring in utter shock at the auburn-haired, besmiled boy who had just entered the room. "Cael!" shouts another one of my sisters, and we pile onto the boy, hugging him as hard as possible, as he hugs back laughing.

"Hey everybody, too long, no see!" After about 5 minutes worth of hugging and smiles we settle onto the chairs with our missing elder brother of four years. Yes, Cael was our older brother, and we all remember the day he left our home vividly. We hadn't heard from him once since he was 12 and we 8. I don't know much by the way of specifics on what happened, but I do know there was some kind of argument between him and my parents. Then one day he just declared he was leaving, a stick and suitcase in his hands. He never returned after that day. We were too distressed when we were younger to give the stick in his hand a second thought, but now that I thought about it could only have been a wand...

Cael's voice interrupted my thought-process, "So, mum and dad finally decided to tell you lot hmm?

So, how'd you find out? Did somebody accidentally vanish their teacher, start something on fire, or did you blow up your History teacher like me? (Okay, okay so it wasn't really my teacher, just the globe he had his hand on) Or did mum and dad finally come to their senses and tell you guys?" He finished still laughing, but he stopped as he watched the smiles slip off our faces at the mention of our parents. Cael looks about himself and asks, "Where are mum and dad anyway? Surely they wouldn't-" then he cut off again as I stare him strait in the face, tears threatening to fall.

"Mum and Papi, they-" I start then Dumbledore took over, finally telling us what had befallen our parents.

"I'm afraid that your parents are very much in danger." All of the Yanamari children's heads snap to the old man's face, where we find a broken look, the sparkle in his eyes dim and barely visible. "I wished to tell all of you at once, so as not to have to repeat it. Your parents were both very important Aurors, and hunted by Voldoremort and his followers, and very often in great danger. Though when they had a child, you Cael," Dumbledore nods toward my elder brother, "they moved away from the wizarding world here in England to the United States in attempt to protect you, and your future sisters. They carried on their work, though in even greater secrecy then ever, not even informing you all of your true heritage or your magical talents. They hid these things from you in hopes that you'd never have to deal with the troubles they did. Few knew of your family's location, most didn't even know which continent you lived on, except for a few close friends, myself included. Then several weeks ago, the day I met you at your home, I received an urgent message from your parents, one the requested my immediate response and attendance, and that when I reached your home, I was to take you all to the safest place they knew, Hogwarts. When I reached your home, I found it empty, exactly how it looked when you arrived, but the air was thick with dark magic. I do not know what it was that took place, but I do not believe that Brienna and Quauhtli are dead, they were to strong to be defeated so easily, but what has become of them, I could not, nor wish not, to know."

"So there's still a chance?" asks Shashi tearfully, her knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs tightly, as if she was trying desperately to hold on to the world as it tried to fling her off it surface.

"There is always a chance," responds Dumbledore, and we turn to look at him, his eyes closed and his face pained. Then he finally opened his eyes and began to speak, "You must promise me...you must promise you will not try to find your parents." We stared at him in silence for several moments, before Cael and I began to shake our heads, how could we do nothing? Shashi opened her mouth to say something but Dumbledore silenced her, "You must promise, it is what your parents want, they want you safe and they left me responsible for it. Please." I don't know what it was, the fact that it was what my parents wanted of us, the pained look on Dumbledore's face, or the simple please but I finally broke down.

"I...Promise." I finally chocked out, trying not to cry. Shashi stopped rocking and stood to join me on my chair, as well as Chandria, a silent promise that the three of us would get through this together, through the pain of our missing parents, through the grueling preparations for school, through school itself, and help each other be strong, and be there to catch one another when we just can't handle it anymore and fall.

They each took one of my hands and we said together, "We Promise."

Then Tavia and Teva across the room speak in unison, "We Promise."

Cael finally sighs, falling dejectedly into his chair, and says behind his hands, "I Promise."

* * *

When we finally left the room for our own we realized with a start that it was already dark, and late, and exhaustion hung on our shoulders like a lead weight, we each returned to our own rooms, and Shashi, Chandria, and I changed for sleep, crawled under the sheets of our bed and with a flick of a wand the lamps were extinguished. I rolled over into a troubled and memory-filled sleep.

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**Alright, well that's it for this chapter, kinda short, i know, but i hoped you liked it. I would very much so appreciate reviews.**

**I really like the next chapter, it's basically flash-backs of major points in Marari's childhood. I may have the next part up tonight but i'm not sure yet, we'll see. **


	6. Of Dreams and Memories

**Disclaimer: Harry potter-not mine. Marari and company-my puppet slaves**

**Yep nothing else much to say. **

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Part 6: Of Dreams and Memories: 

_A young Marari Yanamari crept silently down the hallway of her home for the fourth time that night, with the excuse of having to use the bathroom, in truth that was not the real reason. She paused before the door through which she heard her parents continual late night argument, catching fragments of what was said, this particular night she heard, "Have to tell them," and "No we agreed we never would-" when the voices rose in volume, but then they would become quiet once again and she could hear no more. Then she headed on to the bathroom at the end of the hall, so that if she were discovered she could claim she as only returning from it and heard nothing, she was determined not to get caught eavesdropping.  
_

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_A four-year-old Marari wandered down the hallways of her home one evening, searching for her father to say good-night. After searching the whole house she finally came to a closed door, a small cinch of light shining beneath it. She stood on her tippy-toes to reach the handle, grinning in success as the cool metal turned beneath her tiny hand, and the door eased forward slightly, and the lights inside the room flashed off instantly and the door slammed shut with a sudden force, jamming in its frame. The small girl shoots across the hallway to huddle against the wall on the other side, knees shaking. Less than a minute later the door opens and her father steps out, his eyes apologetic; only the tiniest clouded bit of impatience fading from his eyes as he spoke._

_ "Sorry sweetheart, but you mustn't go opening closed doors." The young Marari nodded dumbly, and her father patted her fondly on the head, then turned around and squatted down for her to climb on his back. She smiles widely and does so, shrieking happily as he gives her a piggyback all the way to her bedroom, jumping and dashing and spinning. Finally reaching the girl's bedroom her father tucked her in, kissing her forehead and turning out the light as he backs out of her room, closing her door, leaving her to the slowed sounds of her sisters breathing, and their glowing stars, moons, and galaxies all over the walls and ceiling, hugging her stuffed dog Valentine to her chest, face buried in its soft fur and fresh clean scent._

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___A six-year-old Marari was going over to the home of a friend of her mother, one whom had a daughter her own age. And so, in the way of Mother's, when Brienna was going to have tea with her friend she brought her young daughter Marari along. The two children were left to their own devices to play. The other child lead Marari to her room were her toys were, coming upon the other girl's closed girl, Marari stopped, and the other girl peaks around her, "Why'd we stop?" she asks, staring wonderingly about. _

___"The door is closed." responds Marari carefully, she no longer remembered the reason she didn't open closed doors, she just...didn't. _

___"Of course it is silly, don't want the dog to get in there and chew on all my toys." Finally, since Marari stood still and refused to open the door, the other girl stepped around her and opened in herself, walking in. Marari then smiled and followed the girl. _

___Though the other girl thought it was strange that Marari refused to open closed doors, she soon got over it, the two became quick friends. Neria was her name._

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___  
Eight-year-old Marari and Neria sat on the floor of Neria's room, paper spread around them, crayons, markers, and coloured pencils flung around the floor in a bright array to rival the colours and patterns drawn all over the papers. Their childhood discussions often consisted of childhood dreams, unicorns, great beasts, fearie tales, magic. But one day the discussion changed, somehow. _

___"Marari, what if magic were real? What if there really were witches and spells and unicorns, and we just didn't know it?" _

___"Don't be silly Neria, how could they be real," said the young Marari, not looking up from the squiggly green line she was drawing that somewhat resembled a turtle. _

___"But what if it was?" reiterated Neria boldly, Marari finally looks up from her paper._

___"I don't know. But if magic were real, then wouldn't all the bad things be real as well? You can't have one and not the other." _

___Neria stared at the other girl, then finally whispered, "It is real." Marari heard her though. _

___"What is it that makes you think it's real?" _

___Neria looks at her then whispers, "I think my grandma's a witch." Marari stared at her, sure, Neria's grandmum was...strange, but everyone was different. Neria's grandmother lived in the basement of Neria's home, and seldom came up, but on a couple occasions when Marari had been over she had seen the old women, wrapped tightly in shawls and going about her own business. _

___Suddenly Neria's mother was in the doorway, "Neria, will you come here for a moment?" _

___And Marari's mother came up behind her, "Marari, it's time to go." Neria and Marari said their goodbyes and Marari left. _

___After Marari went home, she decided to forget about the strange conversation she had with her friend, and neither of them ever spoke about it again._

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___ The ten-year-old Yanamari triplets stood huddled together in the door way from the kitchen to the front hall, where a 12 year old Cael stood, suitcase and stick in hand, facing their parents standing on the stairs. Brienna_ _Yanamari stood grasping the railing, tears in her eyes but she said nothing nor let them fall down her face. Quauhtli Yanamari stood strait and calm, though his eyes told a different story, one of the pain of loss and the knowledge that he had to let his son go. Cael Yanamari stared at his parents and though he didn't exactly understand why, he knew there was a reason he must leave. He must protect his younger sisters, even if that means he cannot see them or speak with them. Then he turned and opened the door, taking one last glance at his family, then shut it behind him. The triplets cried after him, flinging out their arms and the glass on the door shattered, but the girls were too distressed to think on it, their brother was gone. If the girls had cared to look about when the glass broke they would have noticed the panicked looks on their parents faces, followed by relieve as they saw their daughters had not thought anything of the magically broken glass, caused by their own distress. They could not bare having to lose more then one._

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___ At age 13 Marari and Neria were still good friends, and spent a lot of time together, at school, the mall, arcade, each other houses, they were nearly inseparable, and Neria could always tell which of the Yanamaris she was, even as other's struggled to even get their last name correct. _

___One Friday, Marari and Neria were walking back to Neria's house for a sleep over after school. Marari was telling Neria of the strange dream she had had the night before, she had been flying, but on a broom, like a witch from a story. It had been so strange, and Marari laughed at the thought, and did not notice Neria's uneasy look or lack of laughter. _

___When they got to Neria's house they found her parents not home, and that her grandmother was out and about. For the first time ever Neria's grandmother's eyes focused on Marari, her eyes widening as her mouth forming a large 'O' and raised her arm in which she helda strange stick. _

___"Grandma no!" calls out Neria, but the stick wasn't aimed at Marari, it was pointing just the side of the partly frozen girl. Marari turned her head as she realized this and saw a tall man there, dressed in black cloak and clothing, as well as black gloves. _

___Marari jumped sideways as she felt energy sizzling past her, and bodily hit a wall, thudding forcefully into it. _

___After a short bit of time she woke groggily, seeing Neria and her grandmother's face hovering before her. Her eyes were only slit open, so they didn't know she was awake. "We'll have to put a memory charm on her." Marari heard a voice that wasn't Neria's so it must have been her grandmother's. _

___"But she's my friend, why can't she just know?" asked a voice Marari could easily identify as Neria's. _

___"You know perfectly well why!" responds the elderly woman sharply to her granddaughter and then Marari felt a warmth trickle into her head and she phased out. The next day Neria informed Marari tearfully that she was moving to England, and they would probably never see each other again. The two cried together over Neria's departure, then said their final good-byes, knowing despite promises to write and stay in touch they would never hear from each other again._

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___Marari, 14 yeas old, wakes from a nightmare, shaking and screaming, sweat pouring down her face, and sits up in her bed, images of blood and pain flashing before her eyes, screams echoing in her head, and she sobbed into her hands knowing that hundreds of miles away Neria's parents were dead, even before the newspaper describing the horrible explosion that took 19 people's lives had arrived. Neither Neria nor her grandmother were ever found.  
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_**And that is all for this chapter. Please review! **_


	7. Of Animals and Examinations

**I meant to post this on Thursday night, but I had to get ready to get up on Friday morning because I had to be at school and on a bus 45 minutes before I normally think about maybe getting out of bed. My Japanese class was attending a foreign language forensics meet, that happened to be 2 and a half hours away. It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't freezing out and so early. It was really quiet because everyone was sleeping, but sooooooooo uncomfortable to sit on those school bus seats for that long. And the meet would have been more fun if there had been another school with a Japanese class, we had no competition. But they had really good food (everything comes back to food with me) IT was a really big campus, if it weren't for the maps we all got I would have gotten so lost. That and the fact that at all times there were at least two other people with me. That helped too. But yes, I didn't post this last night either because when we got back at like 6, I was simply exhausted. And then I was invited to a going-home party for the French exchange students, (yay foreign languages) and a lot of Wii and guitar hero was involved, and caffeine, a lot of that. But anyway, on with chapter 7!**

**I hope you like the chapter! it's a longer one.**

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Part 7: Of Animals and Examinations

I woke to find tears in my eyes and my body shaking. I wiped my face with the back of my hand, and brush my hair out of my eyes while pushing lingering memories out of my mind at the same time. I push the button on my watch, illuminating its face so I could read the time. 5:30 am. It was no use going back to sleep, I'd need to get up in another half an hour anyway. I crawled out of bed and walked into the bathroom, switching on the shower. I turned the temperature as high as I could without scalding myself to death, then stripped down and stepped in, the hot water pushing away the last remnants of the memories of things past. Steam filled the shower and every breath was as much water as air, but it cleared my head and woke me up.

At 6:00 I got out of the shower, pulled a comb through my short hair, wrapped my towel around me and walked back into the room I shared with Shashi and Chandria.

"Wake up sleeping beauties!" I call loudly, and Chandria slowly sits up, giving me a look that clearly read, 'it can't be morning already'. Shashi twitched but that was all. I walk over to her, pull back her covers, and wring my wet hair out on top of her; she shoots out of bed, dripping, and glares at me.

"It's too early for this!" she groans, watching as Chandria heads off for the next shower, since Shashi was too lazy.

"You wanna be ready for school or not?" I ask her, and she sighs, loudly, murmuring to herself under her breath but admitting defeat. "Good." I say then turn to my wardrobe. I pull on some comfy jeans and a t-shirt proclaiming 'I told your boy-friend he was gay and he hit me with his purse!' and combed my hair once more so that it would lay right then grabbed a book on mythical creatures and sat in a chair by a window to wait for my sisters to finish getting ready.

At about 6:45 we set out to find room 201, finally finding it and piling in with two minutes to spare. Lupin was already there, and he looked up from the book he was reading. "Ah, right on time girls. Right, for the first day I thought I would test each of you in each of the areas of education to see where you stand, Right, wands out!" And so passed our first day with a teacher.

A couple weeks later, early to mid July, we had reached 4th year level magics, and we were told the next three days we had to ourselves to do as we wished. Shashi enthusiastically proclaimed how she felt about this; "YES!!!!!!" screams Shashi, then begins to dance about the room happily. We went to bed the next night looking forward to go outside and wander about as we wished, and I fell asleep with a smile on my face. Exactly 5:30 the next morning my eyes opened and I rubbed my face, glancing at the time and sighing. I had hoped that since I didn't have to get up I wouldn't, but my body was used to getting up at this time now so I hadn't much choice. I sighed getting out of bed and heading to the shower.

Afterwards I got dressed in shorts and a tank, for it was going to be a bright sunny day, and I could already feel the humidity even this early in the morning. I combed my hair and then went to jump on Shashi's bed, just because I could.

"I'M SLEEPING!" I hear her voice come muffled from beneath the covers.

"I know." I respond.

Chandria sits up then and yawns, "Shashi, we don't have lessons today remember?" Suddenly I fell on my ass as Shashi shoots out of bed, eyes huge.

"Oh yeah! First shower!" she yells running into the bathroom before Chandria could get there.

Chandria shakes her head and yawns again then turns her brown eyes to me again, "You wake up at 5:30 again?" I nod, and then sit down with the first book I could grab, one on transfiguration. I sit down by the window just as Shashi streams out of the bathroom running around to get ready for the day and Chandria heads in for her shower. I hear a hoot by my ear and turn to the window to see Hermes sitting there, I smile and close my book and unlatch the window.

"Hey Hermes." I say, reaching out my arm for him to jump on, and then bringing him into the room. "What should we do today Hermes?" I ask the owl but Shashi answers, appearing at my elbow and staring at the bird.

"I know! We should go to Eeylops Owl Emporium! That way Chandria and I can get our own owls!"

Chandria, sanding on the other side of the room, wand pointed at her head to quick dry her hair, says, "That sounds like a great idea."

About 10 minutes later we were all ready to go out, and bounded down the stairs happily, waving goodbye to Tom, who was behind the bar already, even at this hour, and told him we'd be back later. We walked into the walled in courtyard and I pulled out my wand, we had mastered the brick code weeks ago. I tapped on the correct bricks and the archway opened before us.

"Three days off, I can hardly contain myself!" squeals Shashi, while Chandria and I glance at her.

"You mean that's containing yourself? Please make sure it all stays where it is, you're bad enough as is." I comment, and she gives me a quick glare then bounds off down the street, her head turning about her so fast to see everything and anything that you'd think it would snap off her neck. I grin after my enthusiastic sister, shaking my head then calling after her, "You know that the Owl Emporium is back here right?" Shashi stops in her tracks, and turns back, coming bounding back to Chandria and I who stand before the entrance of the store in question.

"Of course," she says, feigning innocent, "I was just... erm... getting some exercise."

"Of course you were," Chandria says while pushing open the shop door and I roll my eyes, walking in after her into the noisy shop. Shashi pushes in behind me, eyes raking the cages and tanks curiously. Chandria, always the sensible one, headed strait for the owl cages, looking over each carefully and questioning the attendant on each she found promising. Shashi stood in the middle of the store and gawked for several moments before something large and hairy landed on her head. It was a purple rat, though it was the size of a cat, and it curled its violet, hairless tail around the circumference of Shashi head and appeared determined to stay put. I glanced up to see where it came from and saw a large Harpy Eagle in the rafters, its feathers slightly ruffed, staring down at the rat as all predators watched their prey. I wondered why it simply didn't swoop down and grab it, when I realized its leg was attached by a short chair to a beam, disabling it from harming the other animals. Then the great bird turned its eyes on me and I stumbled back from the sheer intensity of its gaze, it was beautiful. It cocked its head to the side looking at me curiously then squawked loudly, sending all the other animals in the shop twittering, and screeching in their cages, the bars rattling as the shuddered and fluttered about.

"Oh, not again!" cries a women, striding quickly toward us, a large dead furry lump in her hand which she throws up to the bird in the rafters. The harpy catches it and gobbles it down, settling back onto its rafter quietly. The women sighs in relief and turns to my sisters and myself, wiping her hand on the apron-like smock over her clothing, protecting them from animal stains, then holds it out to Chandria who was nearest to her. "I'm very sorry about that. Normally he only doesn't that until after hours, but once in a while he just ups and decides..." the woman rambles on for several moments before she suddenly noticed the purple rat on Shashi's head, and her speech slows as if she were stumped. "Huh, well isn't this just a day for strange behavior. Since when have you ever warmed up to a person?" she directs at the rat who was still sitting contentedly on Shashi's head (who was watching the tip of its tail as it crossed in front of her face, going cross eyed as it passed her nose) The woman squints at my sisters and I, then asks, "You lot aren't nymphs of some kind, are ye?"

Chandria, Shashi, and I glance at each other, then burst out laughing, "Of course not!" says Chandria and I shake my head.

"We're just witches, given we've only known _that_ for a couple weeks..." I trail off. "Well," the woman says, dismissing the thought, "That rat there doesn't like anybody, though you wouldn't be able to tell by the way he's snuggling up to your sister, and he's been here almost as long as he has." she says pointing up toward the rafters. "Nobody will take either — too much of a hassle to have an animal that absolutely loathes you I suppose. So, would you be needed some help?"

"No, I'm good." says Shashi, who was by now tenderly petting the rat on her head, scratching behind its ears. Chandria turns back toward the owl cages and quickly looks then all over once more, then noticed a small, grayish-brown owl in a cage. It blinks at her, and turns it's head on its tiny shoulders revealing its tiny tuff-like ears.

"I believe I've found what I'm looking for." Chandria says quietly as the tiny owl surveys her.

"Ah, very-good choice," says the women stepping closer to help Chandria with the bird cage, "What you've chosen is a Eurasian Scops Owl, very good flier; 'e'll never let you down." Chandria finally got a hold of the cage and the tiny owl hooted quietly, and hopped to the bars of it's cage where Chandria's hand held it, and rubbed its feathers against her hand fondly, hooting softly. The woman started to walk off to some shelves calling behind her, "Now you'll need to owl pellets, small of course, that bird would choke on anything much bigger than a knut. And if you wish, there is also a wide verity of owl treat lines..." the woman continued on.

Chandria called back to Shashi and I, "Could you guys help me, my hands are kinda full..." since Shashi was to absorbed in cooing to the violet rat I sighed and stepped forward to help, nearly falling after tripping over a cat that had managed to twine around my legs without me noticing. Though I don't know how I couldn't have, it was purring so loudly you'd think it was roaring. I look curiously down at the small black kitten making such a big noise then blink as it suddenly turns a bright green, and rubs its chin against my foot. "Well if that doesn't beat all." says the woman, who was now standing next to me once again, Chandria standing at the register, cage in hands and a small pile of owl care supplies on the counter. "If you were any other customer that cat would have scratched your eyes out by now, most violent little thing for it's size I've even seen," The kitten opens a single glaring eye, focusing it on the women, then closes it again, twining around my legs and butting her head against my ankles. "I don't know what it is about you girls, but you sure have a way with animals." The woman sighs, "Now if only someone would just take the Harpy we'd be able have some peace and quiet around here."

"Actually," I say grinning, "I may have a solution for that."

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My sisters and I sat back in our room, enjoying the evening of our first day off, playing with our new friends. Surprisingly Hermes took to the kitten quite quickly, and vise versa. The kitten had quickly proven that she could master any colour imaginable, as she shifted through each with every turn, one moment blue, the next red, and the next a violet to challenge Shashi's rat. Shashi named the purple creature Othin, after the god of the skies from Norse mythology. Shashi and the newly named Othin sat in the corner where Shashi stroked the creature, murmuring to it as she did so. Chandria sat near the empty fire grate, the scops owl, named Dyri, on her arm watching as she read a book about her new pet. I sat near the open window, a cool breeze playing across my face as Valkyrie purrs in my lap, a brilliant orange that bordered on fluorescent. I close my eyes and take a deep breath of the cool, fresh air, and hear Hermes shift comfortably on my shoulder. I grin and kiss the bird lightly on the wing, petting Kyrie gently, with my sisters and friends at my side, how could this year possibly go bad?

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All too soon our days of lounging and doing absolutely nothing ended and it was time to go back to lessons. The first day back at lessons I left Kyrie in our room, despite her cries of the unjustness for me to do such a thing, but when I returned to find the whole place torn to shreds, (though easily enough repaired with a little magic) I decided it would be best if she came with. Thankfully she didn't make trouble during lessons.

As we progressed through the fourth year magics I grew increasingly nervous, knowing that we only had one year left to cover, and after that, our O.W.Ls. The day Professor Lupin announced we were now starting to cover 5th year magics I almost fainted. But September was fast approaching and time waits for no man...or girl.

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When the day we were to go to the ministry of magic to take our Ordinary Wizarding Level tests rolled in, August 18th, I found myself sitting in a slightly uncomfortable chair, my mouth dry and tongue thick, hugginh Kyrie tightly to myself, nervously awaiting the time when my sisters and I would be summoned into the room beyond the door we sat before to take our tests. The first test was to be on Charms, followed by Herbology, then Transfiguration, then a break for lunch before coming back in for our test on History of magic. I was currently racking my brain for all the Charms information I could, and jumped violently at the sound of our names being called through the now open door.

"Chandria, Marari, and Shashi Yanamari, we are ready for you."

I entered the room, Kyrie still held tight in my arms, purring comfortingly, to find three desks waiting for us to take the written part of the exams, and three old wizards to test us during the practical parts of the exams. I sighed through my nose then sat down, picking up the supplied quill and began writing.

Four long hours later Chandria, Shashi, and I filed out of the room, holding our wrists, and heading toward the room in which we were to have lunch. I sat in a chair, glanced at the food, then laid my head on the table, sighing. My head was pounding from thinking to hard, and my stomach, though empty, couldn't deal with food. "Aren't you gonna eat?" asks Chandria.

"Anggggg." I respond noncommittally.

"Yah, me neither." she responds, as Shashi plops into a third chair, not even looking at the chair but worriedly staring into space.

"I screwed up during my Charms practical. He wanted me to levitate the goblet, and I did, but it started to let off this weird high pitched squeal, and I couldn't stop it."

"That was you?" I asked turning my head to the side so I could see her face. She makes a tired face at me then Lupin walks into the room, a tall red-headed man following behind him.

"Girls! You're not eating!"

"No offense Professor, but we really don't feel much like eating."

"I understand but you'll need it, so want it or not, eat up." I sigh in resignation, lifting my head from the table then reaching out to grab an orange from a bowl on the table, pealing it and begin to eat it. My sisters sigh and follow my example.

"Happy now?" I ask.

"Immensely." smiles Professor Lupin. "Girls, I would like you to meet Mr. Weasley. Arthur, this is Chandria, Marari, and Shashi Yanamari."

"But of course, they've their parents in them. So, how are you're O.W.L.s going?" The three of us groan and both Mr. Weasley and Professor Lupin laugh.

"Only one more for the day girls then you can go back and get some rest and get ready for tomorrow."

"I'm horrible with names and dates." I moan, thinking of the History of Magic Exam that was coming up.

"You'll do just fine, remember your grades on these exams directly relates to my success as your teacher." Lupin winks. I manage a half smile and finish my orange standing to return for the last exam of the day.

I hold out my hand to Mr. Weasley, "It was nice to meet you Mr. Weasley."

"Likewise." he says shaking my hand. "I'm sure we'll be seeing each again soon enough, and you can meet my sons and daughter. Ron is just your age and is going into 6th year as well. Well, you best be off, don't want to be late for your exam." We nod at him and file out to take the exam.

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Later I collapse on my bed, falling asleep almost instantly, any lingering thoughts of last-minute studying banished from my mind, as Kyrie curls up, her tiny body lying on my collarbone, her head tucked up under my chin, and falls asleep.

I wake the next morning much earlier than I would ever hope, but I drag myself out of bed, Kyrie refusing to be insane like her owner and get up at the ungodly hour. I drag my feet to the bathroom, preparing for our second day of testing. Today we were going to be testing on Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, and Arithmancy. At least it was an easy day, Lupin was a wonderful DADA teacher; Care of magical Creatures, well it was animals, easy; Potions, like chemistry for the magically endowed; and finally Arithmancy, who doesn't love math and figures? Okay so maybe it's just me. I turn off the shower and walk out of the bathroom in a towel, seeing my sisters begin to drag themselves out of bed, as I get dressed.

Soon enough we were back in the testing room then at lunch. Shashi once again looked worried, "I think I mixed up the Grindylow with the Kappa, I can never keep the two strait."

"Don't worry about it," Chandria comforts Shashi, "I'm sure you did fine." Unlike yesterday, today I was ravenous, and I began to laden a plate with food, and quickly shoveling it into my mouth before I had to return for the final exam of the day. After today we just had to get through Muggle Studies (wow that'll be a hard one), Astronomy, Divination, and Ancient Runes. Lupin walks into the room, and grins at me shoveling food into my mouth. I stop only to give a small salute for a greeting then return to the food. Kyrie sits on the table next to my plate, alternately watching me eat, and drinking from a bowl filled with cream. Lupin grabs a chair and sits.

"Don't you worry girls. Only five exams left, then you're free to do whatever you wish for the rest of the summer."

"Yeah, like worry about our O.W.L. results." mutters Shashi under her breath and Chandra nudges her.

A voice carries into the room, "It's time for your final exam of the day." We stood and filed in once more to the testing room.

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The next day I walk out of the room for the last time, biting my lip. I hadn't been all that worried during the actual tests, but now that they're over I'm not so sure. What if I didn't pass them and am held back in classes? It's gonna be hard enough without being stuck with another year. Shashi was right, what good is free time if you spend it worrying?!

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**I hope you liked the chapter! **

**I would very much appreciate reviews! thanks for reading!**


	8. Of Waiting and Worrying

**Oh my, I decided I would take what I had written and update because it had been so long since I last updated this story and I felt bad. I thought it would be just a small update but then I looked and I had a lot written that I just never got around to posting. So here is a relatively big update. I hope you like it!**

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Part 8: Of Waiting and Worrying

The first week after exams was probably the worst, we spent our time thinking on every question we hadn't been positive the answer of, and worrying that we had gotten even more wrong then we realized and we were going to fail it all. Without lessons to take our minds of off things, it was hard not to constantly return to the exams. I began reading even more, trying to drown out my worries by continuing to teach myself things we would be learning in the year ahead. I also began reading a large book I found on the school we would be attending called Hogwarts: A History, it was actually quite interesting and succeeded in distracting me from thoughts of my O.W.L. results quite efficiently. Kyrie reused to be parted from my side, and often turned a violent shade of red if I attempted to leave her alone for just a little while. Othin, Shashi's rat, never seemed as content as when he sat on Shashi's head or when she carried him around in her arms.

Exactly a week after the exams, August 27th, Lupin came to our room, my sisters and I sitting in front of the window, watching all the kids and teens flood into Diagon Alley, preparing for the new school year. Five days, I think to myself, not really believing that in five days we would be attending a school for witches and wizards. "Good morning girls."

"'Morning professor," my sisters and I respond in unison, turning from the window. "Professor Dumbledore is here to see you girls." Lupin says, and the three of us immediately stand, and follow him out the door, seeing our two younger siblings were already there, and we follow him down the hall to find Patrick and Professor Dumbledore already seated. "Come in, come in, sit down." says Dumbledore. We complied and waited for Dumbledore to speak. "Now girls, I am sure you are aware that school will be starting in five days time." we nod as he continues, "To resolve any questions you may receive from other students, you are transferring students from America, who attended their first five years in a school in Iceland. Of course Mr. Patrick, and Misses Tavia and Teva will not have to worry about this as Patrick has been attending the school for a number of years and it is the young ones first. And now I must also tell you that your family is moving out of your rooms to a new place to stay for the last days before the beginning of term. Mr. Weasley," Arthur Weasley stepped into the room, "Will be assisting with your move as you will be staying with his family and small number of others. It would be best if you go to pack your belongs now and then meet in the lobby downstairs ready to be off." My siblings and I glance at each other. Moving? I think, five days before school starts? But why? It didn't look as if Dumbledore was going to say anything else so we hurried back to our rooms, and began packing, magic helping to speed things up. Soon we were scouring the room for any forgotten or missed items then we made off down the stairs, our younger siblings not far behind us, our brother once again already downstairs and ready. "How do you get around so fast?" I ask him, curious. He puffs out his chest proudly, "Appeariating."I poke him and he deflates and my sisters and I laugh.

Arthur Weasley steps forward, "Alright, it's looks as if we're already to go. I'll just cast some shrinking spells on your things and we'll be on our way." We watched as our trunks and animal cages shrunk until pocket-sized, then we picked them up and slid them in our pockets. Kyrie jumped up onto my shoulders, and Shashi carried Othin while Dyri sat on Chandria's shoulder, and we walked out onto the street. We glanced about but there were no cars waiting, and Mr. Weasley was already walking off down the street. Lupin came out of the building behind us and ushered as after Arthur Weasley, it seemed we would be walking to our destination, hence the shrinking of our things. "What about Dumbledore?" I hear Chandria ask Lupin behind me as we begin walking.

"He'll meet us there." responds Lupin. We walk for a good forty minutes before Mr. Weasley slows and finally stops, standing on a less than impressive street. Suddenly Dumbledore steps out from behind a building, handing me a slip of paper with words written neatly on it. "Memorize it and pass it on to your siblings." he says and I glance at the paper:

The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found and number 12, Grimmauld Place, London.

I passed the paper to Chandria who was nearest then glance around looking at the house numbers: 9, 10, 11, ...13. I cocked my head to the side and stared, "But professor..." I began then Patrick finished reading the slip of paper and it burst into flame. "Think about what you read on the paper." Dumbledore commands and I comply, and suddenly a black, shabby door rose from the ground between houses 11 and 13, followed by grimy walls and windows, as my siblings and I stood by and gapped.

"Come now, we mustn't stand and gape in the middle of the street, it tends to attract attention," says Mr. Weasley, ushering us into the dirty, dimly-lighted house, a finger placed to his lips symbolizing that we should remain quiet. The nine of us entered the battered door to find ourselves in an equally, if not more, dreadful, depressing hallway. Mr. Weasley lead us out of the hallway and into a kitchen where a pleasant-looking woman with vibrant red hair sat, but not for long. The moment she saw us enter the room she leaped up, a large smile creasing her face. "Girls, I would like you to meet my wife, Molly." says Mr. Weasley. "Oh, Dears! You must be Chandria, Marari, and Shashi, yes, I can tell by your eyes!" she exclaims, sweeping the three of us into a giant hug. "And you two! Tavia and Teva! And Patrick! It is so good to actually see you after all this time, oh you're parents were always so proud of you all, always had something to say..." Molly released us and hugs the rest of our siblings. "Where are the boys, and Ginny? They should come meet the kids!" asks Molly.

"I believe they're all still upstairs," responds her husband.

"Well go and get them!" Molly tells her husband and turns to us as he leaves the room, "Are any of you hungry, would you like something to eat?" We had eaten not long before we came so we weren't really hungry, but my throat was dry and parched. "I wouldn't mind a drink." I say, and Molly bustles about to get one for me, as we all sit around a large wooden table. Suddenly there are two giant CRACK!'s and two identical boys with bright red hair stood before the table.

"OY! Twins and triplets! Now that's something!" said one of the boys.

"Fred! George! What have I told you about unnecessary appearation?!" asks Molly.

"It wasn't unnecessary! We wanted to see and the stairs take too long!" responds the other boy indignantly. "I'm George by the way." he says, holding out his hand for me to shake, as I was nearest.

"And I'm Fred!" says his twin, also holding out his hand to Chandria. Then he notices Patrick, "Oy! Patrick, you're related to this lot? And I thought Ginny had it bad!"I didn't know whether to laugh or be insulted, but I was saved from the decision as just then several more people piled into the room, another red-headed boy who appeared our age, a red-headed girl who appeared slightly younger, a girl with frizzy brown hair, and a boy with messy black hair and green eyes, both who looked our age. The twins pull the two red-heads over saying, "This is our younger bother Ron, and our little sister Ginny."

Ron... I think, then it clicks, "Hey! I know you, you're the one Dumbledore said could explain Quidditch to us!" I say and the boy's ears turn a bright red to match his hair. I resist the urge to laugh, managing to just smile, and he smiles back then pulls the other two kids over, indicating the girl who, before he could say anything, thrusts her hand at me and says, "Hermione Granger, pleasure to meet you." I shake her hand, saying "Marari Yanamari."

"Yanamari..." she says thoughtfully, then snaps her fingers, "Didn't your parents-" she breaks off at the closed and dark looks on my siblings', and my own, faces, and begins apologizing, "Oh, I'm so sorry I wasn't thinking."

"Good job, Hermione," mumbles Ron behind her, elbowing her.

"No, no, it's alright," I say, "It's just, we don't really know what's happening, you know?"

Suddenly the black haired boy says something, I had almost forgotten he was there, he's so quiet. "Yes, I do know." I turn to him and he holds out his hand saying "I'm Harry." he sighs and then says, "Harry Potter."

I shake his hand and say, "Nice to meet you." The whole room seemed to be looking strangely at my sisters and I as if we had missed something big but I couldn't figure it out so I just sat back down at the table, and taking a sip of whatever Mrs. Weasley had gotten for me to drink. The room was completely silent and then Harry sits down at the table next to me and next thing you know the table was full of talking and laughing people. That was weird I think then turn to harry. "Do you play Quidditch?"

"...Yeah." He finally responds as if thinking about it too hard.

"You're not a seeker by and chance are you?"

He looked slightly taken aback, "Yes, why?"

"Well Dumbledore tells me my father was one of the best seekers Hogwarts has ever seen and I wanted to know more about it." Next thing I knew I had forgotten all about worrying over O.W.L. results, my parents, and upcoming school, as Harry explained Quidditch to me, he was so enthused with the sport that he soon stopped being so quiet and was enthusiastically telling me stories about his own experiences as a seeker, causing me to laugh at his gestures and gasp about his injuries.

"And he removed all the bone in your arm? What a moron!" I say after he began telling me about a narcistic DADA teacher who accidentally removed the bones from his arm instead of fixing a break.

"Yeah, and I spent all night in the hospital wing having my bones being regrown."

"Ouch," I say, wincing appreciably. "I'd like to try out for my house team, whichever house I end up in."

Harry grins at me, "So what house do you think you're going to end up in?"

"I don't know, I've been reading about them in Hogwarts: A History-" but then I was cut off by a groan from Ron. "Bloody hell, not another one!" And Hermione looks at me excitedly, "You've read it as well? Have you finished it?"

I turn to her grinning, "Of course, how long could it possibly take to read?"

"That's what I keep telling them," she says, pointing to the guys.

"It is another Hermione!" groans Ron again and Harry elbows him. Hermione and I continued to speak about which books we've read and certain advanced spells we'd attempted, and Ron and Harry soon stopped listening to us babble on and began talking among themselves, probably about Quidditch, and Shashi and Chandria were talking with Ginny, who was head over heals for Othin, and was stroking his violet fur. Suddenly Kyrie leaps onto the table and yowls, a bright, shocking electric blue colour. I glance at her and laugh, "Mrs. Weasley, so don't have any cream by chance do you?"

"Why of course dear," she says and bustles about getting some and pouring it in a curved dish and setting it on the table. Kyrie settles down, contentedly lapping the cream from the dish, her fur sliding into a peacefully, calm indigo colour, her ears going jade every time they twitched. Hermione stares wide-eyed at my cat. I laugh at her expression and pick up Kyrie, who immediately began purring and shifted to a deep violet colour, "This is Valkyrie." I say, petting her fur.

"Can I pet her?" asks Hermione, admiring the colour of her fur.

"Sure, go ahead" Kyrie butts her head against Hermione's hand as she pet her.

"She's so beautiful, I've never seen a cat that changed colours."

"Yeah, she was at the pet store on Diagon Alley and she just sorta found me, and of course I couldn't leave anything as precious as her behind, now could I?" I say, scratching Kyrie's ears. Hermione jumps up from the table, "You should come meet Crookshanks! He's my cat, he's so adorable!" Ron mutters into a cup of pumpkin juice something that sounds suspiciously like "About as adorable as a gnome." and Hermione glares at him before walking out of the room, closely followed by myself. Hermione walks silently through the front hall then up a flight of stairs opening a door where four beds were crammed inside. "This is where you and your identical sisters will be staying, along with me. Your younger sisters will be staying in another room with Ginny, since 7 girls in a room is just too many." She then walks into the room crooning, "Crookshanks! Crookshanks! Come on out, I've got someone to meet you!" suddenly something large, ginger, and furry lands on top of my head.

"Ahh, Hermione? I think I found your cat." Hermione straitens then turns smiling at the large, ginger cat purring on top of my head.

"There you are Crookshanks!" Hermione says, as I watch his tail swish back and forth in front of my nose, his loud purr drowning out all thoughts. Hermione removes him from my head and I can hear again. I scratch him under the chin. "He's awfully charming," I say, as he purrs some more, leaning into my hand.

"I told Ron he's a good cat! But he doesn't understand!" I didn't exactly understand what she was talking about but I could see a long story there so I didn't ask. Then Chandria and Shashi barrel into the room followed closely by Ginny, and they all flop onto beds. "You aren't still talking about books are you?" asks Shashi giving me a 'don't-you-think-you-think-about-them-enough' look. I sigh and say, "Yes, Shashi, your ears are safe from my talk of books, for now."

She sighs, "Good, you make my head hurt."

"So, what did you get for your O.W.L. results?" asks Hermione curiously. My sisters and I all groan. "Come on, they couldn't have been that bad!" Hermione says looking slightly alarmed.

"That's not it," I say shaking my head, "We took them only a week ago, we're still waiting for the results. And you just reminded us of that."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize- I remember how nervous I was. I got all Outstandings, well, except for Defense Against the Dark Arts, I got an 'Exceeds Expectations' on that one." she looked slightly disappointed in herself but then it was gone and she continued, "I'm sure you did fine! When will you be getting the results?"

"Any day now." I say, the nervousness returning full swing by now. Suddenly there was a knock on our open door, and I lift my head from where I was lying on my back staring up at the ceiling holding Kyrie to my chest and look toward the door seeing my younger sisters standing there. They piled in and flopped on empty spaces on the beds. "Hey." says Tavia seriously in greeting.

"Hey yourself," I respond watching their serious faces from upside down. "What's up?" I ask concerned.

"What's it gonna be like? Magic?"

I almost laughed, I had forgotten that my younger sister's wouldn't really know anything of magic. "Well, have you tried even picking up a book and experimenting?" I ask teasingly, but both of them just look at me with horrified looks on their faces. "Don't worry you're not gonna blow yourselves up trying beginning level one spells!" I glance around, hmmmm, "Here, let's try one." I knock a jar to the ground and it shatters and my younger sisters look at me in shock. "Alright I want you to take your wand and flick it and say 'Repairo' got that?" My sisters nod, staring at the shattered jar. "Alright, Tavia you first." Tavia gulps and pulls out her wand as we all watch interestedly.

"Repairo!" She says, flicking her wand, and the shards jump and clump closer together but don't really reform.

"Good first try, now Teva." Teva pulls out her wand and does the same as Tavia, but her hand was shaking and the flick didn't look so much like a flick, than like a kid with a sparkler and the shards fly across the room, everyone taking cover, hands over heads. I start to laugh.

"Hey, at least you got them to move, Repairo!" and the shards fly back together reforming the jar which I set back on the counter it had been sitting on. Tavia and Teva stare at me in awe, and I smile ruffling Teva's hair saying, "Don't worry, you'll be as good as me someday, you just need some practice."

"That was an excellent repairing charm." says a voice from the doorway and we look up to see a tall black man. Patrick peers around his shoulder grinning at the stunned looks on our faces as we sprawled across the beds. Suddenly another head pops up behind Patrick, one with a wide grin and bubble-gum pink hair. The three step into the room, the bubble-gum haired one waving excitedly.

"Wotcher! It's so nice to finally be meeting all you! And it's nice to see you two again too!" the woman says to Ginny and Hermione.

"TONKS!" the girls say excitedly, happy to see her.

"It's awesome to be seeing you again!" says Hermione, standing. Patrick crashes onto the bed next to me as I roll over so the world is no longer upside-down, and stand.

"'Ello, I'm Marari Yanamari." I say, offering the women my hand to shake, which she does enthusiastically.

"Tonks, call me Tonks," she says, pumping my arm up and down.

"Tonks! Will you do the thing with your nose? Pleeeeease?" asks Ginny and Tonks laughs.

"Alright just give me a second." Tonks closes her eyes and concentrates and her nose shifts until it is large, and hawk-like and Hermione and Ginny laugh, clapping their hands. My eyes widen.

"You're a metamorphmagus!" I exclaim and see the confused looks on my sisters faces out of the corner of my eyes.

"Let me guess, you read about it." I hear Shashi ask me sarcastically.

"It wouldn't hurt you to pick up a book every once in a while you know." I say, turning to her.

"I do read, you just take it to a ridiculous level. Who reads when they're bored, tired, angry, depressed, sick, happy, hyper, you get up in the morning at ungodly hours and read!" Hermione looked like she was about to raise her hand but decided it was best to say nothing. The whole argument blew right past me, we'd had it so many times before. Then the room exploded into laughter, tears close to streaming out of Chandria's, Shashi's, and my eyes from laughing so hard as everyone but our siblings looked at us with concern, worried we'd gone insane. Patrick talks to the two adults,

"They've been arguing like this since before I left home, this is nothing new. And the laughter? Well, I never said they were sane." a pillow came in contact with his face as the last word left his mouth and he pulls it away, to see me innocently watching the ceiling.

"Sanity, or lack there of, tends to run in families," I say carelessly, watching the ceiling, a smirk on my face, but Patrick got the hidden insult.

"I'm NOT insane!"

"Well you are related to us. You're the one who said we weren't sane." Patrick sighs, even when we were little I could twist around his words, I have a manipulative streak in me. I turn back to Tonks, "So you're a metamorphmagus? That's amazing."

"Yeah, your mother was really amazing though, it was like she didn't even have to concentrate and..." she trails off looking at the utter surprise on our faces then slaps her hand over her mouth as Kingsley Shacklebolt sighs and shakes his head. "You all didn't know about that yet did you? Me and my big mouth. Dumbledore's gonna-"

"It is fine, Nymphadora." came a voice from the door, and Tonks winces, "Call me Tonks, please!" Dumbledore steps fully into the room, "It's about time the girls learned more about their parents." He took a seat on a chair that appeared with a wave of his wand. "What is it you would like to know about your parents?" Dumbledore asked kindly, and I sat back down on the bed next to Patrick.

What did we want to know? Where could we possible start? Were they good wizards? Did they pass their exams? Why did they move away from England? Who were they friends with? Were they wizard or muggle born? Did we have grandparents somewhere? With all these questions circling in my head the one that actually came out of my mouth was, "Are we wholly human?" I blushed as everyone stared at me, but Dumbledore just seemed amused and waited for me to explain what I meant. "I-well-what I mean to ask is- the woman at the owl emporium asked us if we were nymphs because of...how the animals were acting." I stopped, unable to make my thought any clearer.

Dumbledore thought for a moment then answered, "It is not uncommon for witches and wizards to have a drop or two of the blood of magical races running through their veins. Blood lines of creatures like nymphs, veela, and even mermaids, the saltwater kind of course, are often found tied into wizarding families. So it is possible you and your siblings could have a drop or two in your blood, not enough for any real effect, just a simple affinity with animals and possibly plants." Dumbledore nodded toward Othin curled up on Shashi's head.

"You...you said our parents were...aurors, what does that mean, really? I mean I understand it's an occupation dedicated to searching out and capturing dark witches and wizards, but how could our parents be connected to the English ministry of magic and still live in America. Wisconsin, no less," Chandria asked.

"Your parents wanted to protect you and your siblings, that's why when your mother Brienna was pregnant with your brother Patrick, they moved away to America in hopes that they wouldn't be found and you would be safe from the dangers of the magical world."

"But why not tell us!" Shashi cut in.

"It was their choice to keep this world a secret from you as long as they could, in hopes to keep you safe from the dangers they faced everyday. When they were needed here, they appeariated. I believe they told you they were going on business trips."

Our parents had gone on 'business trips' a lot, and I had never even given it a second thought. And what about the locked doors in our house that I never questioned, my parents 'office'. They kept me out saying it was delicate and dangerous in there and they didn't want me hurt. The only glances I caught of the room were of glass containers and tubes. My parents were scientists, that's what I thought, and I stayed out of their lab. Now I knew the truth, that it was magic they dealt in, not science.

Dumbledore was still speaking, "Very few knew what continent you lived on, let alone which country. One of your parents friends made the move with your family, they were fellow aurors and hoped to one day have a child of their own. They hoped making the move with your parents would not only alleviate both family's loneliness but also protect their future child from the same danger your parents wished to protect you from." Something about Dumbledore's story struck a chord in my mind.

"Unfortunately, after they had moved back here a couple years ago, the couple was killed in a fight with a dark wizard. He killed 19 of us before one of our aurors caught him with a stunning spell. He rests in azkaban now and for the rest of his life."

"...19?" I asked in a shaky tone.

Dumbledore nodded. "Oh my god, Neria," I breathed, feeling my throat close up.

"Neria? Wasn't that the name of your friend when we were younger?" Chandria asked, tilting her head. "But she moved...away...oh my- Marari, I'm so sorry."

I shook my head, taking a deep breath. I had always known that it had happened even though the papers didn't give the names of the 19 dead. The dream had been too frighteningly real, the only thing different now is that I knew for sure it was true.

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	9. Of OWLs and The Hogwarts Express

**a new chapter? gasp amazing! okay so not really. **

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Chapter 9: Of O.W.L.s and The Hogwarts Express

"Marai, I am so sorry. And we never knew, all those years that you didn't get any letters from Neria..." Chandria trailed off.

I shook my head, "No, it's-it's okay, in some way I...I did know, but I didn't want to believe that could happen to Neria's mum and dad. I remember waking up that morning and looking at the front page of the newspaper and thinking it all had to be a horrible coincidence." I shook my head to force out the thoughts. It was years ago and there were more important things here and now.

"It doesn't matter right now, that was the past, and it's been years. We have now to worry about plenty without thinking on the past as well," I told the room.

"I don't suppose now would be a good time to tell you I've your O.W.L. results then?" the tall dark Shacklebolt asked.

My sisters and I turned to him as one.

"Do you-"

"Just say-"

"You have our O.W.L. results?" I finished for my sisters. Shacklebolt stared at the three of us for a moment then pulled out three envelopes from his cloak and handed then to Chandria, who was closest to him. Chandria silently handed one to me and one to Shashi then focused on the one remaining in her hands. It seemed none of us breathed as we carefully opened our perspective envelopes.

I slid the sheet of paper out of the envelope and unfolded it, bracing myself for what was written inside. My eyes skimmed over the words until I came across the grades, then I stopped and stared at the sheet, hardly breathing.

ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS

Pass Grades Fail Grades

Outstanding (O) Poor (P)

Exceeds Expectations (E) Dreadful (D)

Acceptable (A) Troll (T)

_Marari Liadan Yanamari has achieved:_

Ancient Runes O

Arithmancy O

Astronomy O

Care of Magical Creatures O

Charms O

Defense Against the Dark Arts O

Divination E

Herbology O

History of Magic O

Muggle Studies O

Potions O

Transfiguration O

I felt as if my eyes were bugging out of my head and I didn't look away until Shashi gave an excited woop from my left.

"I pa-assed. I pa-assed!" she sang while dancing around the room. She snatched my grades as she passed me before I could stop her. She let her eyes rove down the list and laughed.

"You bookworm, now how are you going to possibly choose what classes you're gonna actually take at school? My grades at least narrow down my choices." She smiled and waved her O.W.L.s sheet in front of my face until I took it, glancing at her grades.

_Shashi Reanna Yanamari has achieved:_

Ancient Runes P

Arithmancy P

Astronomy A

Care of Magical Creatures O

Charms A

Defense Against the Dark Arts E

Divination A

Herbology O

History of Magic P

Muggle Studies O

Potions A

Transfiguration E

"We already knew I was hopeless in all things mathematic but even I would have disowned myself if I got anything less then an 'Outstanding' in Muggle Studies," Shashi laughed then lunged happily at Chandria, letting my grades flutter in the air in her wake. Hermione caught my sheet and glanced briefly at me, asking permission to see. I nodded at her and shrugged. As Hermione glanced through my grades Shashi dragged me over to Chandria to look at her grades. Chandria's grades were a happy medium to Shashi and my own.

_C__handria Vernina Yanamari has achieved:_

Ancient Runes E

Arithmancy E

Astronomy E

Care of Magical Creatures O

Charms O

Defense Against the Dark Arts O

Divination A

Herbology O

History of Magic A

Muggle Studies O

Potions E

Transfiguration E

"So how'd you do Marari?" Chandria asked me and I shrugged. Shashi grinned and shoved me.

"Oh come on Marari, don't get all modest, we both knew you'd do better then us, all you ever did was read and study from the moment you got your hands on a Wizard book." I grinned then but still just shrugged.

Shashi sighed and rolled her eyes, "Sister dearest received top marks in everything but Divination, in which she got an 'Exceeds Expectations'. And no offence to Professor Lupin, but she couldn't have possibly learned Divination only from him otherwise she couldn't have possibly gotten better then an 'Acceptable'."

It was true, Lupin was a rather dismal Divination teacher, but I assumed it was because he didn't really believe in it.

Hermione suddenly appeared out of no where, her face flushed.

"Marari! This is amazing!" I opened my mouth to argue with her but she shook her head. "How did you take all of these classes? It isn't possible, believe me, I've tried."

"Oh, well, you see we didn't really learn we were witches until this summer..." I trailed off at the look on Hermione's face.

"You, you learned everything in a summer? All these classes, five years worth...how could you possibly..." Hermione's eyes were huge.

"Here, I'll explain it all Hermione, but it's got to be a secret, everyone else at school is gonna be told we attended a school in Iceland." Hermione nodded silently then seemed to think of something.

"What about Harry and Ron, can they know." I glanced at my sisters then nodded.

"As long as they understand that they mustn't tell anyone." Hermione nodded and I sighed.

"Okay, well, before we were even born our parents decided they id not want us to be part of the wizarding world..."

It took a good ten minutes to explain our story to Hermione, but she was silent and merely listened instead of interrupting with questions as one might expect someone to during a story such as ours.

When I finished Hermione looked sad, "I'm so sorry Marari, I knew that your parents were missing but I never realized...that you didn't know anything of this world. That you've never heard of magic being real before this. I can understand not knowing of magic, being muggleborn, but to have wizard parents and still never learn of the truth of their world..."

I shrugged, "We've moved on from that. Sure we confused, and a little hurt, but we got over that and now we're just excited and proud to be part of this world. I mean, we're going to Hogwarts, if that isn't a cause for excitement I don' know what is."

Hermione smiled, "Hogwarts is one of the best places on Earth. I love it there, it's amazing. I'm sure you'll love it there as well."

"I sure hope so," I responded then turned when someone poked me in the back.

"Are you done telling Hermione all about your own legacy?" Patrick asked with a grin.

"Yeah I suppose," I answered.

"Good cause I still gotta harass you for getting better O.W.L.s then I did at your age. What's up with that? Showing me up so now I'm not the best wizarding Yanamari child anymore!" Patrick teased.

I snorted, "You were the only wizarding Yanamari child until this summer," I respond.

"Exactly! That's why I was the best!" he tweaked my nose.

"And the worst," I retorted.

He just grinned and ruffled my hair, "Come on, Mrs. Weasley wants to celebrate your O.W.L.s with yet more food."

"I'm good with that!" Shashi pipes in and I laugh.

"Yeah, that sounds good to me." I stood and followed my siblings and friends down the stairs to the kitchen, glancing at my results clutched in my hand and smiling faintly. I was going to survive this world, and I was going to embrace it as my own. I belonged in the wizarding world in a way I never had in the Muggle world.

"Oh dear, oh dear! We'll be late if we don't hurry!" Mrs. Weasley fussed. We were also to King's Cross Station, where the train that was waiting to take us to Hogwarts waited.

"Don't worry Molly, we'll make it in plenty of time," Arthur told his fretting wife. I yawned and rubbed at my eyes, the one day my body seemed determined to sleep late and I couldn't. I yawned again, muffling it with a hand when Mrs. Weasley glanced my way, I didn't want her to start worrying I hadn't gotten enough sleep.

As the time came to leave I stood from the table and fingered the shrunken luggage in my pocket, making sure none had fallen out. Kyrie was upsettedly pacing her carrier which was spelled so that if any muggle looked in at her she looked like a normal dusty brown coloured cat, no matter how many bright shades she turned in her anger at the carrying case. I glanced at my sisters, Chandria seemed as tired as I was but waws better at hiding it. Shashi was far too excited to be tired. I envied her energy as see practically bounced across the room, the violet Othin in her arms. She looked disappointed when she had to put her rat into his carrying case but Chandria reminded her it was only until we got on the train that she had to worry about Muggle eyes. One last inventory of the shrunken luggage in my pocket and I picked up Kyrie's cage. I turned to a smiling Hermione and couldn't help but give and tired grin in response.

"Are you ready for Hogwarts?" she asked and I nodded.

"I sure hope so." I glanced at Ron and Harry, both of whom seemed to share my enthusiasm at being conscious. Hermione had told them about my sisters and I. She didn't tell me she had told them, and they hadn't approached me about it, but I knew from the way Ron sometimes would abruptly stop in the middle of a sentence, as if unwilling to broach the subject. Harry on the other hand seemed more comfortable because of it, he kept giving my sisters and I understanding glances but kept quiet. In a way I was glad, it had been difficult enough explaining it once, I didn't know if I could do it again so soon.

I gave Kyrie a reassuring stroke through her carrying cases bars when she gave an annoyed meow. She quickly began purring and butting her head against my hand and I smiled faintly at her mood-swings.

Next thing I knew I was being ushered out the door by a flustered Mrs. Weasley, still panicked that we would be late. We were to walk a couple blocks where three cars would be waiting to drive us to the train station. I hadn't the faintest clue how they expected all of us to fit in three cars but I trusted them.

When I opened the back door of one of the cars I was surprised to find that while the car was normal sized the back seat was easily the size of a couch. Mrs. Weasley hustled me into the car when I merely stared.

"Come now, dear, we've got to be on own way!" I crawled in, Shashi, Chandria, and Ginny easily fitting in the backseat with me, even with two owls, a cat, and a rat, all in cages. Teva and Tavia both fit in the front passenger seat. I buckled my seatbelt and watched out the window as Harry, Ron, and Hermione (clasping Crookshanks' carrier) climbed into the back of another car. Soon our car pulled away from the curb and I watched as the world outside the vehicle zipped past.

We arrived at the station with 10 minutes to spare, but Mrs. Weasley still pressed us on toward the platform. It wasn't until we reached a column that she paused and smiled.

"Good, we've made it," she turned to us. "Best get onto the platform dears," my sisters and I stared at her and I heard Hermione step up behind us.

"Mrs. Weasley, I don't think anyone has told them how. Here, I'll show you. Hermione stepped around us and smiled, glanced about her and when no one was looking she leaned through the column.

"Well that's one way to hide a platform I suppose," I comment as she disappears.

"It doesn't hurt does it?" Shashi questions.

"A small tingle, no more," Mrs. Weasley answers and I step forward, casualy glance about then step purposefully into the column. It was rather like walking in jelly, for a moment I couldn't see anything then another step later I left behind the column and stepped into an archway. Hermione smiled at me.

"I remember how strange that was the first time I went through, I couldn't believe I was actually supposed to step through a column." she laughed. I stood next to her a waited as the rest of our group stepped through in groups of ones and twos. As soon as everyone was through Mrs. Weasley ushered us on and I caught my first glimpse of the Hogwarts Express. The large red engine was impressive to say the least. It gave a loud whistle as I stared.

"That means it's time to board! Let's get over to the train then we can get your luggage back to normal size," Mrs. Weasley suggests then leads our group over to a door on the train. "All right, turn out your pockets and I'll take care of your luggage."

I placed the my minuscule luggage on the ground and stood back as Mrs. Weasley returned them to their original size.

"There you are, now up into the train!"

We stepped up into the train and were handed our trunks one by one. By the time the last of the luggage had been handed up the whistle had blown again, near deafening in sound.

"Goodbye dears!" Mrs. Weasley called as the train began to move, the noise wrenching the air. "Have a great year and stay out of trouble!" Mrs. Weasley was yelling now to be heard over the train. We all waved back at her and then pulled back into the train.

"Well we best go find a compartment," Harry suggested. Ginny, Teva, and Tavia had already disappeared to find their own.

"We can't Harry, remember, Ron and I have to go to the prefects carriage then patrol the corridors..." Hermione reminded him.

"Oh yeah, I forgot..." Harry looked downtrodden so I jumped in.

"Boy am I glad I wasn't here for the choosing of prefects, the job sounds frightfully dull, no offence Hermione," I said in attempts to lift Harry's mood. Hermione smiled, realizing what I was doing. Ron on the other hand looked as if he completely agreed with my sentiments.

"Come on Ron, we've got to go. See you all at Hogwarts, good luck with your sorting! We'll be routing for your entrance into Gryffindor!!" Hermione calls over her shoulder, dragging Ron toward the front of the train.

"Funny, I always thought Hermione would be in Ravenclaw," I mused aloud and harry finally laughed.

"Yeah, I think she did too, but we're Gryffindors all the way, Ron, Hermione and I. Ron's whole family was in Gryffindor." I thought of Arthur, Molly, the Twins, and Ginny and grinned.

"I can believe that," Shashi responded.

"So what do you say we find someplace to sit before my trunk pulls my arms off?" Chandria questions and Harry begins leading the way down the corridor, searching for an empty compartment.

This was shaping up to be an interesting year.

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	10. Of Sorting and of New and Old Friends

**agh, i am sorry! this has been written for i don't even know how long but somehow i managed to forget i never submitted it! i hope you like it!**

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"So what do you say we find someplace to sit before my trunk pulls my arms off?" Chandria questions and Harry began leading the way down the corridor, searching for an empty compartment.

Every car we passed seemed to already have people in it so we continued on toward the back of the train. We had passed a compartment when suddenly the door slid open and a voice called, "Harry?" Harry paused and turned then smiled.

"Neville! How are you?" he asked and a blonde head popped up behind the boy called Neville.

"Oh, hello Harry and friends I've never met," the blonde girl said.

"Oh, of course, I almost forgot," Harry said suddenly remembering my sisters and I.

"Why don't you come in first, there's room in our car," Neville proposed and moved out of the doorway as we gratefully piled in. Shashi, Chandria, Harry, and I stowed our trunks up on the racks and sat on the cushy seats of the train car. As Harry began introductions I opened Kyrie's cage and she leapt out and curled up in my lap. Shashi pulled Othin from his own carrying case and cradled him lovingly.

"This is Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. Neville's in Gryffindor and is in 6th year as well. Luna's in Ravenclaw."

"Pleased to meet you," said Neville and Luna nodded.

"This is Chandria, Marari, and Shashi Yanamari." Harry pointed at each of us as he said our names then added, "They're transfers from Iceland and it's their first year at Hogwarts, they're 6th year students."

I waved as Shashi grinned and said, "Hi!" Kyrie curled up in my lap and began cleaning a vibrant purple paw.

"I've never met someone who was born in the presence of a trithralian munkink," Luna said and we stared at her. "That's why there are three of you, when trithralian munkink is present during a birth, three identical children are born." Luna didn't seem bothered by our confused or disbelieving stares as a silence filled the car following her statement.

"So you're transfers? What was it like in Iceland?" Neville asked, breaking the silence, and I shrugged.

"It wasn't bad, but nothing special either, a lot like a muggle school only with wizards and witches. No towers or bewitched ceiling's in the great hall. I must say I'm excited about that. Wasn't as cold as you'd think either."

"Yanamari...that name sounds vaguely familiar..." Luna trailed off in thought.

"Well we have an older brother that went to Hogwarts. But he graduated last year. His name's Patrick, he was a Gryffindor though."

Luna thought for a moment then shrugged, "Maybe that's it," she said then opened a magazine with the title 'The Quibbler' and began reading it.

Harry turned to Neville, "So how did you do on your O.W.L.'s?" he asked.

Neville shrugged, "I did well in Herbology and Defense and even in Charms, but Gram wants me to continue in Transfiguration and I only got an 'acceptable'..." The boy trailed off looking forlorn.

"Don't worry Neville, I'm sure it'll all be fine."

Neville nodded then turned to myself and my sisters, "What kind of classes are you going to be taking?"

Shashi thought for a moment, "I suppose I want to take Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, Charms..." Shashi trailed off, deep in thought.

I shook my head, having a feeling she was going to be stuck like that for a while.

Chandria added in her own class interests as Shashi appeared to be thoroughly distracted, "I'll probably continue with Astronomy, Defense, Herbology, Charms, Care, and maybe Transfiguration." I nodded, I had expected as much.

"What about you?" Neville asked me and Shashi snapped out of her stupor.

"Oh, you don't wanna ask that, she'll probably never shut up. Probably wants to take all the classes," she warned.

"I don't want to take Divination," I corrected, feinting hurt. Shashi smacked herself on the forehead.

"Don't want to take..." she grumbled to herself while rolling her eyes.

"I don't really want to take all the classes. Well, I kinda do, but I want to take certain ones more than others. I want to take potions, defense, Herbology, transfiguration, charms, and care of magical creatures."

Harry spoke up then, "I might as well warm you now that the potion's teacher only takes students in his N.E.W.T. class who achieve an Outstanding on their O.W.L. And he's...well I don't like him very much."

"So he's basically a prig?" Shashi asked bluntly and Harry shrugged and nodded while Neville and I hide smiles behind our hands or coughs.

"I'll keep that I mind, but not even prat teacher will keep me out of potions, especially with an outstanding O.W.L."

"You got an Outstanding for potions?" Harry asked.

"It was my favourite class." Harry finally nodded in understanding, after all, Defense had been his favourite and he had achieved an Outstanding in that class himself.

"So are you excited about coming to Hogwarts?" Neville asked.

"Exceedingly," I responded and my sisters nodded.

"So do you know all about the houses then?" My sisters and I nodded.

"What houses do you think you'll get into?"

"My guess is hufflepuff," Shashi intoned, "Where the loyal and patient are sorted."

Chandria snorted, "Patient Shashi?"

"Well I'm loyal," Shashi said with a sheepish grin.

"I think I'll probably be in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw," Chandria said, "Although I'm not the bravest of people..."

Neville spoke up then, "I'm not brave at all but I got sorted into Gryffindor."

"What are you talking about Neville, don't you remember how you faced down that boggart that looked like Snape when Lupin was teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"You got to face down an actual boggart?! Aww, I wish Lupin would have let us do that--" Chandria and I shot Shashi a look and she suddenly realized what she was saying. "I mean, I wish our defense teacher would have let us do that."

Neville gave her a strange look then shrugged, "If you say so Harry."

"Marari, what house do you think you'll get into?" Harry asked.

I opened my mouth to respond but my sisters responded in unison, "Ravenclaw, where those with wit and learning can find others much like themselves."

"What they said," I responded and rolled my eyes. Harry opened his mouth to say something when a cold voice interrupted.

"Sound like a load of pathetic Hufflepuffs to me, wouldn't you agree Krabe?"

Everyone in the car turned to see a tall blonde boy with a hauty look on his face flanked by two thick looking boys.

"Don't you know that the only house worth being in is Slytherin?"

"Don't you know that its rude to interrupt a discussion that you are obviously not a part of?" I responded testily.

"Do you even know who you're speaking to?" the boy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course I do," I responded calmly, "I'm talking to a git."

I heard stiffled laughter fill the car as the boy's face flamed in anger.

"I was going to forgive you because you didn't know, but now it looks like I'm going to have to--" the boy had been pulling out his wand but he was suddenly interrupted when the car lurched and he was thrown to the side.

The laughter was no longer stiffled but outright mocking. The boy righted himself and straightened his shirt. His fall had been enough time for all of us to pull out our wands and train them at the blonde, curses at ready. He noticed this and narrowed his eyes.

"This is far from over," he threatened.

"Anytime, blonde git." The boy turned and left the car and his cronies hurried after him.

"Geez, who was Mr. I own the world?" Shashi asked.

"That was Draco Malfoy, his daddy has lots of money and power so he thinks he can push people around. He's a prime example of a Slytherin," Harry explained.

"I understand why no one gets along with them, he's total prig."

Even Neville was nodding, "Slytherins are only friends to themselves," he said.

Suddenly Luna spoke up, "We should be changing into our robes now."

"Oh, you're right, I completely forgot." We all grabbed a pair of robes and Luna led Chandria, Shashi and I to where the girls could change while Harry and Neville went the other way.

On the way back to the compartment we ran into Hermione.

"Oh, hi guys! Good to see you again Luna," she said.

"Hello Hermione," Luna responded.

"Just finished getting changed? I've been busy patrolling the cars on prefect duty."

"I don't envy you that," I said and she smiled.

"It's not so bad, really. We'll be pulling into the station soon, you best get back to your compartment."

"Alright, see you when we get there!"

"Bye!" Hermione waved as we continued on to our compartment. When we got there Harry and Neville were already back.

"What took you guys so long?"

"We ran into Hermione patrolling the cars. She said we're almost there." As I spoke I saw the station come into view outside the window. "Never mind, we are there."

We all pulled down our trunks and filtered back out of the compartment and into the hallway. The train came to a complete stop and students began to get off. We waited as the way cleared then got down. Harry, Luna, and Neville lead my sisters and I across the platform and to a road where carriages were carrying students away.

As we got closer I gasped then began hurrying toward the carriages gleefully, "Thestrals!!"

"She can see them?" I heard Harry ask my sisters.

"We all can, we were there when our great aunt Aleis died of old age in the hospital. You can see them too?"

"Yeah, as can Luna." Luna nodded. When they reached the carriage I was cooing to the attached thestral and petting where its mane would be should it have had one.

"Hello dear, aren't you a beauty? I've always wanted to see one of you." The thesral made a strange noise somewhere between a growl and a whinny that most gathered around the carriage found to be disheartening but I thought was adorable.

"Oh aren't you charming," I scratched behind its ears and it tilted its head into my hand and made the noise again.

"Ah, Marari? If we want to make it in time for the feast you'd best get in." Harry called from inside the carriage.

"Alright, coming," the others had already put my trunk in the carriage. I patted the thestral one last time.

"Sorry dear, I have to go now, but I'll come visit you okay? And I'll bring you some nice raw meat." The thestral gave a noise like a growl-whicker, and rubbed its nose on my shoulder then I turned and leapt into the carriage and the thestral started to move.

"Isn't she beautiful?" I asked and my sisters shook their heads and rolled their eyes.

"Yes, simply adorable," Shashi said in a tone and look that said she was just humoring me.

"Oh poo on you," I responded and Chandria, Harry and Neville snickered quietly. Suddenly Chandria's face dawned in a look a pure amazement and I whipped around and got my first glimpse of Hogwarts castle.

"...it's beautiful," I said in awe and Shashi snickered.

"I hope you're referring to the castle and not the thestral," she joked and I cuffed her gently on the ear.

"Shut up you're ruining the mood, " I whispered to her. We all watched in silence as we approached the glorious building. The coach stopped at the bottom of a flight of stairs leading to two giant doors.

"This is our stop, time to get out," Harry said with a smile and we all got out of the coach. Chandria, Shashi, and I followed Harry, Neville, and Luna up the stairs and through the giant doorway. Inside plethora students of all sizes, shapes, and colours were trickling into the Great Hall. Before we could follow, a tall woman with a fierce bun stopped my sisters and I.

"The Yanamari triplets?" she asked and we nodded.

"Good, follow me. My name is Minerva McGonagall. I am the head of Gryffindor house and the transfiguration teacher here at Hogwarts. You will be announced as transfers and sorted into your houses after the first years." The woman paused and looked at us and some of the tension seemed to flow out of her face as her look softened. "Don't worry everything will be fine. I knew your parents, they were and are very good wizards. Your father was a Gryffindor and your mother a Ravenclaw. Your father was always trying to impress your mother with his quiddish skills..." Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Well I dare say I expect to see all of you in my class this year, from what I here you are all fairly skilled at transfiguration. We shall see."

McGonagall turned around then and I noticed that a queue of young students stood behind her. As Teva and Tavia were among them I guessed they were the first years. They all looked nervous, and some of them even looked nauseous. I felt rather bad for them, but after they were sorted they would probably feel better. McGonagall gave them a sort speech about what was expected of them and what was going to happen when they were sorted. After she finished she instructed them to follow her into the Great Hall for the sorting ceremony and signaled to my sisters and I to follow after the first years.

We stood in the back and waited as each of the young new witches and wizards were sorted into their new homes. I watched Teva and Tavia, both who looked like they were going to be sick. I placed a comforting hand on Tavia's shoulder, as she was closer. She looked back at me and Chandria, Shashi, and I all gave her smiles and thumbs up signs. The number of first years continued to thin out until Teva and Tavia were the only ones left, considering our last name begins with a 'Y'.

"Yanamari, Tavia," McGonagall called and Tavia nervously stepped up to the battered sorting hat and placed it on her head. There was silence for a moment then the hat shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" Tavia smiled in relief and removed the hat and went to sit with her politely applauding table.

"Yanamari, Teva," McGonagall called and Teva hesitantly walked to the stool and put on the hat. It took quite a bit longer for the hat to decide where to put Teva then Tavia, and Teva shook nervously. Finally the hat proclaimed, "HUFFLEPUFF!!" and Teva removed the hat and gave a hesitant smile and went to join the cheering table decked out in yellow. Now there were no more first years.

McGonagall cleared her throat and announced, "We have three transfers this year from a school in Iceland. First is Yanamari, Chandria." Chandria took a deep breath and walked calmly to the chair and put the hat on her head. The hat deliberated for a moment or two then shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers and I saw Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville wave to Chandria who hurried to sit with them. Hermione shook her hand and Ron slapped her on the back in congratulations. I was so busy watching I almost missed my name being called.

"Yanamari, Marari." I gulped and walked toward the stool, my mouth and hands suddenly very dry. I sat and the hat slide down over my eyes. Suddenly a voice was taking in my head.

"Another one? How many of there are you? Shouldn't you have been here years ago?"

"There's only one more," I responded, "And there were some...obstacles in getting here."

"Yes, yes, I see it all here in your head, your older brother, your parents, your friend Neria–on which note I should warn you not to give up hope. Things aren't always as bad as they seem."

"How can you know that?" I asked.

"My dear, I'm a hat, indued with the wisdom of four of the greatest wizards and witches who ever lived."

"I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Quite right, now as to where to put you...hmm. Intelligent, very intelligent, with a thirst for knowledge unlike I have seen in a longtime. Ah, but what you would do to learn more. You are willing to sacrifice much for your learning, willing to use your cunning to achieve what you need to continue to allow your knowledge to grow..."

I didn't like the sound of where this was going, "Oh please don"t put me in Slytherin, if I have to deal with that prig Malfoy everyday-"

"Alright, alright, no need to resort to such language. If you won't take Slytherin then I shall have to place you...GRYFFINDOR!"

I sat in shock, Gryffindor? What about Ravenclaw? The roar of cheering brought me back to my surroundings. I sheepishly smiled and removed the hat and placed it on the stool then walked to the cheering Gryffindor table. As I walked down its length I received numerous high fives and handshakes and pats on the back in congratulation. Finally I reached Chandria, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Neville.

"Brilliant! I thought you would end up in Ravenclaw for sure. The sorting hat sure took long enough, guess it couldn't decide between brains and bravery eh?" Ron asked.

"Eh heh, yeah, I guess not," I answered shakily and sat down between Harry and Neville.

McGonagall then called, "Yanamari, Shashi," and I turned to watch. Almost no sooner had the hat fallen over her eyes did it yell, "GRYFFINDOR!!" Shashi's mouth fell open in surprise but she quickly recovered and jumped up and almost forgot to take off the hat before dashing to the Gryffindor table.

"Hey Shashi, looks like we both were wrong about which houses we would be sorted into."

Shashi mock-shivered, "You? Wrong? That can't be right." Shashi joked. "Still though, I expected it to take longer, the hat went on my head and I heard a voice say, 'so you're the last one eh? Well I know where to put you,' and then it shouted Gryffindor and you know the rest."

"Aww well it's all A-okay with me, I didn't really want to be in a separate house then you two, it would be too strange being so far apart all the time." Shashi and Chandria nodded in agree-ance and Hermione popped in.

"I must say I am very glad you all got into Gryffindor as well. That way you already have friends in your house!"

"That's very true," Chandria responded, "I don't know what I would have done if I had been sorted into one of the other houses all by myself. It would be different being a first year, because everyone is new, but in the 6th year everyone else has known each other for 6 years. Hard to get a foot in and meet someone."

Shashi blanched, "I never thought of that! Man am I glad I got into Gryffindor!" Everyone laughed and Shashi's face cleared and she smiled too.

"No worries, you're all more than welcome in the Gryffindor house," Ron said then cried, "FOOD!" as it had begun to appear at the table.

"Oooo!" Shashi echoed his enthusiasm and sat down at the table, quickly tucking in. The rest of us snickered then sat to eat.

Everything I ate tasted wonderful, I don't think I'd even seen half the foods I ate, but I didn't care, it all looked and tasted so good.

"Woah, Marari, slow down mate," said Ron, who I felt had little right considering how he had been eating. I laughed.

"Sorry, it's just so good, are the meals always like this?"

"Yep!" Hermione quipped. I could definitely get used to this. Finally I sat back, full and having no desire to even hear the word 'food' for a week. All around the room people were doing much the same thing and food was disappearing from the table. As the food pulled its disappearing act Dumbledore said a few words in regards to the school year and current events, including a mention of Voldermort. My body stiffened in anger at the name, knowing he was responsible for whatever had happened to my parents. I wasn't alone, I noticed Chandria and Shashi bristle out of the corners of my eyes, as well as most others in our group. Finally Dumbledore finished his speech and students began to stand throughout the Great Hall. I covered up a yawn with my hand, when had I become so tired?

Hermione laughed at my failed attempts at covering my exhaustion. "Come on, we'll show you to the Gryffindor Commons and dorms, your trunks will already be there, and Kyrie and Othin, and Dyri should be in the Owlery."

Chandria nodded and we all followed, Harry, Ron and Hermione out of the hall toward the grand staircase.

My mind didn't register the running footsteps until the body slammed into me, arms wrapped tightly around my middle.

"I can't believe it, I can't believe it! It's really you! I saw you and I couldn't believe it then McGonagall read your name and I was right and it is you!" A muffled female voice cried, as the female's face in question was buried in my back. Everyone was staring at the female and myself strangely but then I caught a glimpse of her hair and my eyes went wide and my jaw slack.

"N-Neria?!" I questioned and her smiling face popped up.

"You bet your Wisconsin ass it is! Took you damn long enough to get here, I thought you'd never come! And Gryffindor? I was sooooo sure you'd be Ravenclaw, like me!"

I grinned wide and put my hands on my hips, "You, Ravenclaw? Not buying!" we broke into fits of laughter then locked each other in a tight hug.

"I'd thought I was never gonna see you again!" I said and she laughed.

"I did too! I knew your parents were keeping it secret 'n all but after Patrick showed up I was sure in a couple years you three would be coming to start here just like I was! But Iceland? Really now?"

"Sorry it took so long! And yes Iceland," I fixed Neria with a look that said I would explain later and she grinned. Meanwhile Ron, Harry, and Hermione watched in confusion.

"Wait, so they know each other?" Ron asked.

Chandria smiled, "They were best friends when they were little, her parents were Aurors too, her parents knew our parents kind of deal. Anyway when we were younger Neria had to move away and soon after her parents died in an...accident, and Marari hadn't heard from her since. She's really missed her. I can't believe she's here after all this time..."

"Accident?" Hermione asked but Chandria shook her head.

"Not my place to say," she said and Hermione nodded in understanding.

"All this time," I said, "I can't believe you're here. You know I would have pictured you as more of a Gryffindor..."

Neria grinned and punched me lightly on the shoulder, "Look who's talking Miss thirst for knowledge."

"Yeah I guess. I'm just glad you're alright, all those years ago, when I heard the news...I was so worried..."

Neria shook her head with a sad smile, "Gran took good care 'o me. I don't know if that memory charm has worn of or not with age, but you may or may not remember what a quick shot she is with a wand."

I smiled faintly, "No, I remember, I remember a lot more these days that I realize I never saw, probably with the aid of magic."

"I always wanted to tell you, but it was forbidden, whenever I tried-"

I grinned, "I remember, someone would show up and stop you, I know."

Someone tapped my shoulder and I turned to see Chandria and Shashi. "I know this is a big reunion and it is wonderful to see you again Neria, but we should probably be heading to Gryffindor Tower," Chandria said sensibly.

Neria and I grinned at each other, "Yeah you're right Chandria, and I'm dead tired too."

"And it's not like we're going anywhere, we've got all year to catch up," Neria added. I nodded and we gave each other a brief hug then waved as we headed in different directions, her to Ravenclaw's dormitory and Hermione, Harry, Ron, my sisters and I to the Gryffindor tower.

After seven flights of stairs I was ready to fall down into a dead sleep.

"Are we almost there?" Shashi asked then yawned.

"Just about." Harry responded. Our group turned a corner and at the end of the hall was a huge portrait of a fairly overweight woman dressed in pink.

"My, my, these are some new faces. Aren't you a little big for first years?"

"We're transfers into 6th year," Shashi said with drooping eyes.

"But of course, so exciting to have transfers in our noble house of Gryffindor, all the new knowledge and personalities..." the Fat Lady continued to speak even after Hermione said "Quiffle Pox" in a very definite manner, which I found to be very strange.

"Quiffle Pox," Hermione said a little bit louder but the woman continued to prattle on, finally Hermione shouted, "QUIFFLE POX!" and the woman closed her mouth and stared at the girl.

"Well you didn't have to snap," the portrait said in a defensive manner, looking offended.

"I'm sorry, but we're all very tired and would just very much like to get into the commons."

"Well alright, but we'll have to continue our wonderful little chat another time then." the portrait swung open and we climbed one by one through the tunnel on the other side.

"Come on, girl's dorms are over here, boys dorms are over there," Hermione said, pointing. Harry and Ron went that way and we stumbled after Hermione up the stairs of the girls' dorm. Finally we reached the 6th years dorm and Hermione opened the door. There were a couple other girls already in their beds, and I noticed four still-empty beds. I recognized the trunks at the end of each one. On the bed at which my trunk was at the end, Kyrie had curled up and waited, waving her tail and looking rather satisfied with her surroundings.

The violet Othin looked much the same, snoozing on Shashi's pillow. I yawned as I dug in my trunk for my pajamas then put them on.

"Night Shashi, Chandria, and Hermione," I said quietly while shifting Kyrie and slipping under the warm covers.

"'Night," came three whispered responses and I fell asleep to Kyrie's purring in my ear.

* * *

**well i hope you enjoyed it. more should be coming soon as i have more written (that i also forgot about) there might even already be enough for another chapter already- we'll see when i read it over. **

**reviews are very welcome, as always!**

**thank you kindly for reading! **


	11. Of Breakfast and Schedules

**how long has it been since i last put out a chapter of this? i don't even know. a number of months i'm sure. anyway i hope you like it, it's on the shorter side, a little over four pages. oh well, onward!!**

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Chapter 11: Of Breakfast and Schedules

"Good Morning!" a voice called happily and I cracked open my eyes. The sun was just beginning to shine in through the window and I could hear rustling as girls got out of bed and went about preparing for the day. I sat up and ran a hand through my hair and looked around. Chandria was making her bed, still in her pajamas. Hermione was already dressed and ready and a couple girls I had yet to meet were in varying stages of getting dressed. I looked the other way to find Shashi still a-bed, cuddling Othin in her sleep. I slide from under my covers and padded barefoot over to her bed and bent over to say in her ear, "Shashi Yanamari, what is the answer to my question?" in a strange voice.

Shashi bolted up right with wide eyes, causing Othin to tumble to her lap. She cried "1984!" loudly then looked about in confusion. Everyone was staring at her as I laughed and Chandria shook her head.

Shashi sighed and glared at me, "Stop doing your impression of my English teacher when I'm asleep, damn near give me a heart attack."

"But it's so effective!" I responded in an innocent voice. Shashi grumbled and crawled out of bed.

I snickered as she wandered around trying to find her clothes, still grumbling and shooting me glares.

"Should you have done that?" asked Hermione in concern.

"Don't worry, she just begrudges consciousness in the morning, she'll be better by lunch." I dug in my trunk for my school uniform, the skirt, robes, vest, stockings and shoes. My robes had magically attained the Gryffindor badge in the night.

"Snazzy," I said as I straitened my robe when I finished dressing. I turned to Kyrie, who was still curled up in bed determined to sleep. "Don't destroy anything today," I told her and she popped open an eye to look at me. I put my hands on my hips. "I mean it! If anything is destroyed when I get back after classes I'll hex your legs together." Kyrie gazed at me for a moment longer then closed her eyes again and fell asleep. I took that as acknowledgment and grabbed my bag and headed down the stairs for breakfast. Chandria was already waiting in the Common room with Hermione and a small group of other Gryffindors who were asking her questions.

"So you're from America then?" asked a boy with an Irish accent.

"Yes, I was born there."

"So that's why you talk funny."

"I beg your pardon?" Chandria asked and Hermione laughed quietly. Shashi stumbled down the stairs behind me, she was already starting to be more awake.

"Thanks for getting me up this morning, I wouldn't have wanted to miss my first day of classes."

I grinned at Hermione's look of disbelief and mouthed 'told you' and then told said, "No problem Shashi." She yawned and stretched then headed toward the portrait hole.

Just then Harry and Ron came down from the boy's dorms. "Morning Harry, Ron." Neville stumbled down the stairs after the two boys. "Oh, 'g morning Neville," I added.

"Morning Marari, how are you?" asked Neville.

"Little tired, but I'm excited that classes start today."

"I'm not," grumbled Ron and I grinned.

"Well I'm going to head down to breakfast, you all coming?" They nodded and I waved over Chandria and Hermione. "We're headin' down for breakfast, you ready?"

Hermione and Chandria nodded and we all headed to the portrait. Shashi was waiting just outside the passage.

"I...er...forgot the way to the Great Hall," she said sheepishly. I shook my head, laughing, and walked to the end of the hall then paused.

"You know...that would be funnier if I had any idea where I was going..." I said.

Shashi snickered, "You dummy."

"It's not my fault, this place is huge. I mean, it's a castle. And wasn't that portrait on the other side of the hall last night? And those stairs could _not_ have been there before."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville laughed. Hermione stepped up next to me, "Don't worry you'll get used to it after a while. I had forgotten how easy it was to get lost, its been so long since our 1st year."

Shashi's stomach grumbled and everyone laughed again. "Well we'd best be on our way if we want to prevent Shashi's stomach from digesting itself," I said and indicated that the other Gryffindors should lead on. My sisters and I followed the group down several flights of stairs and were relieved when we saw the Great Hall.

"Food!" Shashi cried and hurried down the remaining stairs into the hall. We snickered and followed at a more leisurely pace. By the time we reached the Great hall Shashi was already seated and eating from a heaping platter.

"Marari!" a voice called and someone thudded into my back.

"'Mornin' Neria," I said with a grin.

Neria stepped away and we walked toward the Gryffindor table, "I still can't get over you being here!" she said.

We sat down next to Shashi, including Neria.

"Ah, Neria? Aren't you in ravenclaw?"

She shrugged, "There's no rule against sitting at a different house table, in fact its almost encouraged. Interhouse friendships and all that."

I glanced around and noticed we wezren't the only ones with mixed members, but two tables over sat a large group of both Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, mostly first years, Teva and Tavia in their mist. In fact the only table that did not have students from different houses sitting at it was the Slytherin table. _Figures_, I thought.

"So you excited to decide which classes you're talking this year?" Hermione asked and I nodded as Neria gasped.

"That's right! I didn't ask you how you did on your O.W.L.s Marari! So how'd you do?"

I opened my mouth to respond but Shashi beat me to it during a pause between bites, "she did bloody perfect of course."

"I did not do perfect Shashi! I got an exceeds expectations in Divination."

"Psh, whatever Marari," Shashi said with a grin as Neria laughed.

"I wouldn't have expected any less," Neria got a twinkle in her eye and she grinned. "Sooooo, how was schooling in _Iceland_?"

"Oh, it was nice," I responded and sent Neria a look, "There were very small class sizes so we got a lot of one on one work with our teachers, learned a lot in a small span of time..."

Neria rose an eyebrow, "How short amount of time are we talking about?" I glanced around, no one was watching so I mouthed the words 'the summer' to Neria.

"WHAT!?" she cried in surprise and I made calming motions in her direction.

"I'll explain later," I told her and she nodded, glancing around at all the people piling into the Great Hall even as we spoke.

Neria looked toward the front of the great hall and Marari followed her line of sight to the head-table, where some of the professors were standing.

"That's my que to get over to my own table. Time to work out our class schedules. See you around!" Neria stood and smiled then made her way to her own table, and a number of others students were doing the same, anxious to receive their schedules.

Professor McGonagall moved down the Gryffindor table, handing out schedules to the younger students. After she had handed out all the schedules she began going through the N.E.W.T. level students and approving their classes. All of Hermione's choices were quickly cleared and she grinned and headed to her first class with a brief wave. Neville's classes took a bit longer to figure out but soon enough he was also on his way. McGonagall then moved on to a girl by the name of Pavarti, followed by Harry, then Ron. McGonagall continued through the rest of the firth year students, leaving Marari and her siblings for last as they had not turned any applications detailing their interests which classes to continue.

Finally McGonagall turned to Chandria. "So, Miss Chandria. Do you know which classes you would like to continue?"

Chandria nodded and said, "I'd like to continue with Astronomy, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Charms, Care of Magical Creatures, and Transfiguration."

McGonagall nodded as Chandria spoke and she scanned over her O.W.L.s results as well. "Let's see, yes, you're good for all of those classes." McGonagall tapped her wand on a blank piece of paper and a schedule appeared. "Here you go." Chandria nodded and took it with a smile.

McGonagall then turned to Marari, "Let's see, Marari Yanamari," she said while shuffling through the papers in her hand then stopping on one and glancing down at the grades. The woman's eyes widened slightly as she went down the list then glanced up at the slightly embarrassed girl before her. "Well, you certainly will not have any trouble getting into which ever class you would like." Shashi snorted behind Marari.

"So do you know which ones you would like to continue?"

"I would like to continue with Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms, Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy."

McGonagall nodded and tapped another blank sheet with her wand, Marari's schedule pouring onto it. "Here you are, i am looking forward to having you in my Transfiguration class."

"Thank you Professor!" Marari said and stood, clutching her new schedule and swinging her messenger bag onto her shoulder.

McGonagall turned to Shashi as Marari left the hall via the giant doors at its entrance and she heard her sister's nervous laughter and shook her head and went to join Chandria where she was waiting at the base of the grand stairway.

It was only a manner of minutes before Shashi joined them, her new schedule in hand and grin on her face. "I ended up taking Care, Herbology, Charms, and Defense."

Chandria and Marari nodded.

"Well i haven't a class yet, i'm gonna head back up to our commons and play with Othin, see you later!" Shashi quipped and headed up the grand staircase with a brief wave.

This was shaping up to be an interesting year.

Neria walked out of the great hall and grinned and headed for Marari and Chandria. Marari and Neria swapped schedules and Neria grinned.

"Cool, we're gonna be in Transfiguration and Defense together." Neria handed back Marari's schedule and Marari did the same.

"Well i have to be going to Ancient Runes now, don't wanna be late!" Neria said with a smile.

"You're in ancient runes?" Marari asked with a raised eyebrow at Neria's back as the girl hurried to class.

Neria looked over her shoulder and stuck out her tongue. "Hey, there is a reason i'm in Ravenclaw you know!" Marari laughed and bid her friend goodbye.

"I must be heading to my Astrology class now, see you later Marari," Chandria then said and Marari nodded and glanced down at her own schedule then jumped in shock and began dashing up the grand staircase. Her Arithmancy class began in five minutes and it was on the fifth floor. Despite herself, she grinned happily, flying up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. She could already tell she was going to love it here.

* * *

**well i hope you liked it.**

**as always, reviews are very welcome.**

**have a good day!  
**


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